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Comprehensive Guide to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder pp 1–13Cite as

Peri-traumatic and Post-traumatic Stress Among Individuals with Diabetes Mellitus

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Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is typically not experienced as immediately life-threatening, and represents a disease requiring long-term self-management. The degree to which patients experience severe or life-threatening symptoms at diagnosis varies, however, and this may represent a factor predicting greater fear and perceived threat. Data have begun to demonstrate that PTSD may increase risk for individuals developing diabetes. As a stressor, diabetes also may engender PTSD. This has been found for parents of children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, for adults with type 1 diabetes related to their experience with hyperglycemic episodes and related to hypoglycemia episodes, and for children with type 1 diabetes related to hypoglycemia. The onset, course, and lifelong self-management of diabetes create the possibility of chronic threat for the most threatening experiences related to diabetes, rather than a discrete or time-limited threat. A taxonomy is suggested to organize and facilitate the study of PTSD regarding diabetes and other medical stressors, with three categories of study foci to clarify the pursuit of each empirical investigation. The developing research literature is reviewed, and the disease and treatment elements of diabetes are discussed with regard to hypotheses about interrelationship and PTSD risk over life-span development.

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Abbreviations

BG:

Blood glucose

CGM:

Continuous glucose monitor

DKA:

Diabetic ketoacidosis

DM:

Diabetes mellitus

FH:

Fear of hypoglycemia

HbA1c:

Hemoglobin A1c (test of glycemic control)

PTS:

Post-traumatic stress

PTSD:

Post-traumatic stress disorder

T1D:

Type 1 DM

T2D:

Type 2 DM

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology, Widener University, One University Place, Chester, PA, 19013, USA

    Bret A. Boyer & Kate G. Deatrich

Authors
  1. Bret A. Boyer
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  2. Kate G. Deatrich
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bret A. Boyer .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Buckinghamshire New University, Uxbridge, Middlesex, United Kingdom

    Colin R. Martin

  2. Kings College, London, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  3. University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

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© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Boyer, B.A., Deatrich, K.G. (2015). Peri-traumatic and Post-traumatic Stress Among Individuals with Diabetes Mellitus. In: Martin, C., Preedy, V., Patel, V. (eds) Comprehensive Guide to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08613-2_53-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08613-2_53-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-08613-2

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