Diabetes: Psychological Intervention and Behavior Change Report

This report examines diabetes mellitus, a metabolic disease characterized by high blood sugar levels, and explores the role of psychological interventions, particularly behavior change theory, in its management. It highlights the different types of diabetes, including type 1, type 2, and gestational di...Read More

Diabetes 1
Diabetes
Institution
Name
Course

Diabetes 2
Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus, ordinarily known as diabetes, is a metabolic disease that causes high
levels of sugar. The hormone insulin moves sugar from the blood into your cells to be put away
or utilized for vitality. With diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't
viably utilize the insulin it makes. Untreated high sugar level from diabetes can harm your
nerves, eyes, kidneys, and different organs. There are different types of diabetes. These include
gestational diabetes which develops during pregnancy, type 1 diabetes where beta cells are
attacked and destroyed by the immune system and type 2 diabetes where the cells stop
responding to insulin (Nall 2018). If not controlled, diabetes can lead to complications like
kidney diseases, damaging of the nerve as well as cardiovascular diseases.
Psychological Intervention
Many people with diabetes encounter psychosocial and emotional issues related with the
disease. Diabetes‐related trouble (DRD) has different affects on the self‐care practices and illness
control. Enhancing DRD in people with diabetes could improve mental well‐being, health‐
related personal satisfaction, self‐care capacities and ailment control, as well as lessening
burdensome side effects. The most effective psychological intervention is behavior change
theory which helps a nurse practitioner to understand the changes that a patient is undergoing as
well as the drivers of the change. This intervention has a step by step approach which occurs in a
particular sequence. This sequence occurs in five major steps which include constructing the
definition of the problem which is the initial stage of behavior change intervention. This stage is
a patient centered approach which increases the patients’ confidence in their own capabilities to
change as well as the nurse practitioner’s credibility thus influence. It also helps the clinician to

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avoid catastrophic portrayals by identifying the specific problem. After that, a counselor goes
ahead to set a goal in collaboration with the patient. These goals are measurable, concrete, action
oriented, realistic but challenging. The process also includes identification of potential barriers
like emotions, resources, social networks, cognitions and the physical environment so as to
enhance the ability to develop strategies for attaining the goal. This intervention also believes in
tracking the patient outcomes and rewarding the success so as to motivate the patient to continue
changing their behavior. Huffman et al. (2015) argue that long term intervention is more
effective in managing and preventing diabetes than short term. Therefore, the last stage of this
intervention is continuing to support the patient so as to prevent relapse as well as how to handle
relapses.
Effectiveness
Behavior change intervention is much more effective in the treatment of diabetes than
other interventions because it contains many key principles which exist in behavior change
models and many intervention components which have been advocated by health experts as well
as empirical evidence. According to Cradock et al., (2017), the behavior gives a critical method
to help conquer diabetes-related distress since it joins methodologies explicitly picked to
encourage a particular result. This intervention incorporates training on coping skills, setting
goals, motivational interviews and social support. Problem solving, self monitoring, behavioral
contracting as well as the use of incentives are some common behavioral change therapies (Peek
et al., 2014). According to Celano (2013), behavior change is designed in way that it reduces self
harm and self efficacy in emotional settings. Behavior change interventions typically contain
numerous conceivably dynamic segments known as behavior change techniques (BCTs). These
techniques are associated with several aspects of diabetes which its onset as well as its

Diabetes 4
prevention. For positive behavior change as well as desired outcomes, it is important to take into
consideration the characteristics of this intervention. It is characterized by effective messaging
for recommended behavior changes which include clarity, personal meaningfulness, active
guidance and support, active guidance and support as well as frequency of feedback.
Evidence of studies
Diabetes self management is integral to diabetes care by and large, and quite a bit of self-
administration involves singular conduct change, especially around patterns of dietary and
physical activities. A study conducted by Harvey (2015) indicates that behavior change
intervention improves the diabetes symptoms as it elicits the views of the patients, conflicts as
well as the barriers. The main of behavior change is to generate a more adaptive coping to the
patients and by using its distinctive principles and approaches, this intervention has proved to be
very effective. This study was conducted to assess the practicability (ability to apply the strategy
fittingly), applicability (ability to sum up from discoveries to settings and populaces of intrigue),
sensitivity (ability to distinguish viable BCTs), and specificity (ability to preclude inadequate
BCTs). The population of the study was children and adolescents and it suggests that up to 25%
of young females develop a clinically significant eating habit and attitude. It also argues that
diabetes in adults is based on their perceptions and therefore it is important to identify the
patients’ abnormal health beliefs as well as their maladaptive coping strategies so as to help
generate acceptance as well as better adaptive coping behaviors. The experimental methods used
were randomized control trials as well as systematic reviews. The approach that was compared
with behavior intervention was family based intervention. This approach proved less successful
because they do not seek to define the root cause of the problem and heavily relies on peers.

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Holistic treatment
Behavior theory provides a framework for a counselor to interpret a patient’s thoughts,
behavior and feelings and help them in navigating the diagnosis and even post treatment of a
patient. Behavioral hypothesis depends on the conviction that behavior is learned. It focuses on
the role of learning to develop both the normal and abnormal behaviors. It also believes in the
intensity of rewards to improve the probability of a conduct and disciplines to diminish the event
of a behavior. Counselors work on changing undesirable and dangerous practices through
conduct adjustment methods, for example, positive or negative fortification. Therefore in a
holistic treatment, a therapist can help a patient through repeated exposure to the cause of the
behavior or even associative learning. A therapist can also teach problem solving and also
consider multiple behavior change recommendations to holistic behavior.

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References
Celano, C.M., Beale, E.E., Moore, S.V., Wexler, D.J. and Huffman, J.C., 2013. Positive
psychological characteristics in diabetes: a review. Current diabetes reports, 13(6), pp.917-929.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-013-0430-8
Nall., R., MSN. 2018, . "An overview of diabetes types and treatments." Medical News Today.
Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323627.php.
Cradock, K.A., ÓLaighin, G., Finucane, F.M., Gainforth, H.L., Quinlan, L.R. and Ginis, K.A.M.,
2017. Behaviour change techniques targeting both diet and physical activity in type 2 diabetes: A
systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical
Activity, 14(1), p.18.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-016-0436-0
Harvey, J.N., 2015. Psychosocial interventions for the diabetic patient. Diabetes, metabolic
syndrome and obesity: targets and therapy, 8, p.29. doi: 10.2147/DMSO.S44352
Hood, K.K., Hilliard, M., Piatt, G. and Ievers-Landis, C.E., 2015. Effective strategies for
encouraging behavior change in people with diabetes. Diabetes management (London,
England), 5(6), p.499. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6086609/
Huffman, J.C., DuBois, C.M., Millstein, R.A., Celano, C.M. and Wexler, D., 2015. Positive
psychological interventions for patients with type 2 diabetes: rationale, theoretical model, and
intervention development. Journal of diabetes research, 2015.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/428349

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Michie, S., West, R., Sheals, K. and Godinho, C.A., 2018. Evaluating the effectiveness of
behavior change techniques in health-related behavior: a scoping review of methods
used. Translational behavioral medicine, 8(2), pp.212-224. https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibx019
Peek, M.E., Ferguson, M.J., Roberson, T.P. and Chin, M.H., 2014. Putting theory into practice: a
case study of diabetes-related behavioral change interventions on Chicago’s south side. Health
promotion practice, 15(2_suppl), pp.40S-50S. doi: 10.1177/1524839914532292