National Diabetes Week 2022: Resources and events for CDEs

This National Diabetes Week, we want people living with diabetes, their families, friends, health professionals, and the public, to rethink diabetes. People living with diabetes may experience diabetes stigma, distress, depression, or anxiety and may also find themselves overwhelmed by the demands of self-management. The need for timely, high quality emotional and mental health care continues to increase.

Results of our emotional health and wellbeing survey

In a survey we conducted earlier this year, we found:

• 33% of CDEs felt extremely confident in starting a conversation about emotional health and wellbeing. 
• 20% were extremely confident in recognising signs of diabetes distress and just over two thirds were moderately confident. 
• We also learned that around 25% of CDEs were not aware of the NDSS Diabetes and Emotional Health Handbook yet.
• Of those who said they were aware of the NDSS Diabetes and Emotional Health Handbook, only 19% responded that they had used it in some capacity. 
• Two thirds of CDEs cited time and lack of mental health services to refer to as the biggest barriers to discussing emotional health and wellbeing with clients. 
• One in four felt they were lacking skills and knowledge in addressing clients’ emotional health and wellbeing. 
• Nine out of ten CDEs would participate in continuing professional development in assessing and managing the emotional health and wellbeing of clients.

Some of the comments from the survey were:

Support your clients’ emotional health and wellbeing

CDEs play an essential role in identifying emotional health and wellbeing concerns for people living with diabetes, as they provide support, resources, and referral to mental health services. If you are not familiar with them yet, we encourage you to take National Diabetes Week as an occasion to familiarise yourself with these NDSS resources:

• NDSS Diabetes and Emotional Health Handbook
• factsheet: Assisting people with diabetes to access professional psychological support

National Diabetes Week 2022 events

We also invite you to join or re-watch our National Diabetes Week events:

• webinar Apples, pears, and oranges: Unravelling diabetes distress, burnout, and depression on Tuesday 19 July at 7 pm AEST, register here
• webinar Weaving psychology into routine diabetes consultations: why and how, watch the recording
• panel discussion by ADEA, Australian Diabetes Society, and Diabetes Australia: Managing diabetes in people with competing priorities, watch the recording

ADEA will continue to work on ways to support CDEs in their clinical practice regarding the emotional health and wellbeing of clients. We are currently establishing a CDE special interest group for mental health. If you would like to be part of this group, we would love to hear from you at education@adea.com.au.

Thank you to everyone who spread the word about National Diabetes Week 2022. You can find supporting materials and further information about the events on our website.