In summation, social support has been defined as an intervening factor tied directly to the coping process (Pearson, 1986).
Regardless of the differences in definition, social support has been the subject of medical and behavioral research for over two decades and the universal outcome has been that social support has therapeutic value in mental and physical health. The majority of studies have been correlational, and so statements about cause and effect remain tenuous. Nevertheless, it is the consensus that social support is a key situation moderator of or buffer to the effects of psychosocial stressors (Pearson, 1986).
Social support can also serve as a salve to pains encountered along the way. It gives people the confidence to making a positive change and testing their limits when they know they have a community of support they can call upon. Social support refers to social interactions that are perceived by the recipient to facilitate coping and assist in responding to stress. Social support is thought to reduce the total amount of stress a person experience as well as to help one cope better when stressed (House, & Landis, 2003).
Social support network is defined as the people from whom an individual can reasonably expect to receive help in a time of need. Social support has been said to contain emotional, practical, and informative dimensions. Data from long-term prospective studies suggest that a lack of social relationship constitute a major risk factor for mortality (House, & Landis, 2003).
In the empowerment approach, there are both strategies that can be used by providers and strategies that can be implemented within a practice to promote patient empowerment.18-21 First and foremost, we need to listen to our patients and ask what they need to obtain from their interactions with us to better manage their diabetes.4 Patients have identified that they have many concerns and issues about living with their diabetes that are rarely addressed by their providers.22 Even patients who are achieving desired metabolic and other outcomes may struggle with the demands of a chronic illness and the uncertainty that it adds to their lives. In addition, providers can become more patient-centered and collaborative and thereby improve patient outcomes and satisfaction with their care
Depression may be a response to the psychosocial burden of living with diabetes. Psychosocial factors such as perceived health status, income, and education have been associated with depression in individuals with diabetes. From there, worsening of health status was independently associated with depression rather than the usage of insulin or medications were not associated with depression. Perceptions about the effect of diabetes on overall health rather than disease chronicity, illness severity, or type of treatment is likely to play an important role in the etiology of depression in individuals with diabetes (Factors Influencing Disease Self-Management Among Veterans with Diabetes and Poor Glycemic Control 2007).
The notion that psychosocial factors rather than disease duration or severity plays important roles in the etiology of depression in individuals with diabetes is supported by prior work. In separate studies, perceived control of diabetes (23), intrusiveness of diabetes (24), perceived daily burden of living with diabetes (20), and perceived threat of diabetes (42) were found to be significantly associated with depression in individuals with diabetes. Therefore, future studies examining the causal relationship between diabetes and depression need to pay attention to the important role that psychosocial factors are likely to play (4).
TYPE of RECORD
Diabetes-related discharges
1st listed diagnosis
Hospital inpatient discharge
Emergency room visits
Diabetes-related discharges
1st listed diagnosis
Gender
Female
Male
Definition of Terms
During this study, the overall glycemic control of diabetic young people will be presented as being as equivalent to a Diabetes Control and Complications Trial HbAlc concentration of 8.7%, placing the majority at a high risk of the complications of diabetes in adulthood. Adjustment for these did not explain the differences between centers although factors were significantly associated with poor HbAlc.Factors not analyzed in DIABAUD2 are the determinants of HbAlc. The e style of utilization of optimum resources is the key to achieving good glycemic control (Factors Influencing Glycemic Control in Young People With Type 1 Diabetes in Scotland 2001).
Average HbAlc concentration was 9.1% (range 5.0-15.0). The following significant associations with HbAlc level were identified: age, insulin regimen, BMI, season, social circumstances, and family history. HbAlc concentrations were significantly worse in...
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