Endocrine Abstracts

Diabetes-related distress (DRD) is a significant psychological burden affecting outcomes in people with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). Identifying modifiable predictors of distress may guide targeted interventions in clinical practice. Diabetes distress is a common but under-recognised psychological burden in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). We examined the relationship between structured education, technology satisfaction, and fear of hypoglycaemia with diabetes distress. A cross-sectional study of 62 adults with T1DM was conducted. Participants completed the 17-item Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS17) and surveys assessing technology satisfaction (1–5), fear of hypoglycaemia (1–5), and completion of structured education (e.g. DAFNE). Clinical data included HbA1c, age, complications, insulin regimen, and monitoring method. Elevated distress was defined as DDS 17 ≥2. Independent-samples t-tests and Pearson correlations assessed associations. A decision tree model identified key predictors of elevated distress.Thirty-seven percent of patients reported elevated distress. Completion of structured education was associated with significantly lower mean DDS 17 scores compared to non-completers (P = 0.029). Technology satisfaction (r = +0.06, P = 0.67) and fear of hypoglycaemia (r = –0.10, P = 0.42) were not significantly associated with distress. The decision tree model achieved 68.8% accuracy, with HbA1c, age, and structured education as the strongest predictors. Structured diabetes education appears protective against elevated distress in adults with T1DM. In this cohort, technology satisfaction and fear of hypoglycaemia did not independently predict distress. These findings support incorporating structured education and routine psychosocial screening into T1DM care. Larger studies are needed to refine predictive models of distress.