Abstract

This study examined the relationship between distress and the development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the presence of established risk factors. Distress secondary to mental health disparities, stressful life events, and work conditions has been shown to promote insulin resistance and the development of T2DM.

Subjects (N=79) diagnosed with T2DM within the previous six months were recruited from SSM Health Centers and VA Medical Centers in the greater St. Louis area. They completed the Recent Life Changes Questionnaire, ENRICHD Social Support Instrument, and a demographic survey and analyses were conducted to determine differences between the veteran and non-veteran subsamples, as well as determine the influence of distress and social support in the presence the established risk factors of age, BMI, and genetic risk for diabetes.

The average subject's hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was 8.3%, BMI was 34.1, ESSI score was 15, and RLCQ score was 297.6 LCU. Twenty-nine subjects were diagnosed with a mental illness. Age and BMI had significant influence on the development of T2DM for the sample (β=-.241, p=.031 and β=-.293, p=0.10, respectively) while distress was not significant (β=-.040, p=.721). The mean HbA1c for the subgroups were significantly different (t=2.768, p=.007) The differences in age, BMI (t=-1.158, p=.250), GRD (t=-1.279, p=.206), and RLCQ scores (t=-.487, p=.628) were not significantly different.

Description

This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 13865496; ProQuest document ID: 2244555104. The author still retains copyright.

Author Details

Joshua T. Minks, PhD, NP-C

Sigma Membership

Non-member

Type

Dissertation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Descriptive/Correlational

Research Approach

Quantitative Research

Keywords:

Distress, Diabetes Mellitus Type 2, Mental Health

Advisor

Roberta Lavin

Second Advisor

Anne Fish

Degree

PhD

Degree Grantor

University of Missouri-St. Louis

Degree Year

2019

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Date of Issue

2024-02-29

Full Text of Presentation

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