The DAWN Youth Survey Results
Changing the future for young people with diabetes
The DAWN Youth survey was finalized beginning of 2008 with more than 6500 people having responded to the webtalk questions. National DAWN Youth boards involving all key partners in diabetes nationally and an international steering group involving representatives from all key stakeholders in the diabetes community will work together during 2009 to make a real change for families with diabetes based on the results.
Depression and anxiety is widespread
The survey shows that at least one-third of young people with diabetes and their parents in all the countries that participated in the study experience low quality of life and that this creates difficulties in managing diabetes. Depression and anxiety is common among young people with diabetes. 20 percent are referred to a psychologist. It is especially diabetes self-management that is a serious challenge for the younger generation. One-third of the young people believed their blood sugar was only rarely or never under control. Part of the reason is that they have great difficulties in managing to do exercise, diet and monitoring of blood sugars as recommended. Healthcare professionals attributed the problems with self-management to psychological issues and over- or under-involved parents. The young people especially feel a lack of support in school.
The psychosocial wellbeing of the family
It is important that healthcare professionals now start to focus more on the whole person, not only on the diabetes. According to the survey, only one fifth of healthcare providers routinely evaluate the psychosocial needs of their patients and their families. The impact of a child’s diabetes on the family should not be overlooked. More than 40 percent of parents had poor well-being and more than 80 percent felt occasionally overwhelmed by their child’s diabetes. Overall, providers estimate that they are only able to provide adequate psychosocial support for little more than half of their patients.
The message is getting through
Policymakers and decision takers are already beginning to pick up the surveys message. “We need to make laws aimed at supporting children with diabetes so that they can lead a life just as healthy children do,” said senator Emanuela Baio, a policy-maker in Italy. Lise Kingo, executive vice president at Novo Nordisk stresses that: ”Novo Nordisk will continue to raise awareness of childhood diabetes and to give children with diabetes and their parents a voice.”
