Abstract
This study examines the subjective wellbeing of Australian adults with diabetes who completed the Diabetes MILES—Australia survey, investigating by diabetes type and treatment, and by comparing with the subjective wellbeing of the general Australian adult population. In addition, the extent to which depression and socio-demographic factors account for subjective wellbeing is investigated. People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes have significantly lower subjective wellbeing compared to the general population, even after controlling for covariates (demographic and socio-economic status, diabetes duration, body mass index, number of diabetes-related complications, and depression). Furthermore, adults with type 2 diabetes using insulin to manage their condition report the lowest levels of subjective wellbeing, and are also most likely to report dissatisfaction with their current health. These findings suggest that living with diabetes, and in particular, living with type 2 diabetes and using insulin, strongly challenges the maintenance of subjective wellbeing.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ali, S., Stone, M. A., Peters, J. L., et al. (2006). The prevalence of co-morbid depression in adults with Type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabetic Medicine, 23, 1165–1173.
Anderson, R. J., Freedland, K. E., Clouse, R. E., & Lustman, P. J. (2001). The prevalence of comorbid depression in adults with diabetes a meta-analysis. Diabetes Care, 24(6), 1069–1078.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2011). Diabetes in Australia: A snapshot, 2007–2008. (Cat. no. 4820.0.55.001.) Canberra, Australia: ABS. Retrieved July 23, 2014, from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4820.0.55.001.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2011). Socio-economic indexes for areas 2011. Canberra, Australia: ABS. Retrieved July 23, 2014, http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/seifa.
Bittar, R. (2009). Subjective wellbeing maintenance: Investigating depression as suppressed homeostatically protected mood. PhD Thesis, Deakin University, Australia.
Bradley, C., Todd, C., Gorton, T., Symonds, E., Martin, A., & Plowright, R. (1999). The development of an individualized questionnaire measure of perceived impact of diabetes on quality of life: the ADDQoL. Quality of Life Research, 8(1–2), 79–91.
Bradshaw, B. G., Richardson, G. E., Kumpfer, K., Carlson, J., Stanchfield, J., Overall, J., et al. (2007). Determining the efficacy of a resiliency training approach in adults with type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Educator, 33(4), 650–659.
Coffey, J. T., Brandle, M., Zhou, H., Marriott, D., Burke, R., Tabaei, B. P., et al. (2002). Valuing health-related quality of life in diabetes. Diabetes Care, 25(12), 2238–2243.
Cohen, J. (1992). A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112(1), 155.
Cummins, R. A. (2010). Subjective wellbeing, homeostatically protected mood and depression: A synthesis. Journal of Happiness Studies, 11(1), 1–17.
Cummins, R. A., Li, N., Wooden, M., et al. (2014). A demonstration of set-points for subjective wellbeing. Journal of Happiness Studies, 15(1), 183–206.
Cummins, R. A., Woerner, J., Hartley-Clark, L., Perera, C., Collard, J., Horfiniak, K., & Gibson-Prosser, A. (2011). Australian unity wellbeing index survey 26.0 Part A : The report. In The wellbeing of Australians—chronic health. Melbourne: Australian Centre on Quality of Life, School of Psychology, Deakin University.
Cummins, R. A., Woerner, J., Hartley-Clark, L., Perera, C., Gibson-Prosser, A., Collard, J., & Horfiniak, K. (2011). Australian unity wellbeing index survey 25.0. Part A: The report. In The Wellbeing of Australians—Relationships and the internet. Melbourne: Australian Centre on Quality of Life, School of Psychology, Deakin University.
Cummins, R. A., Woerner, J., Weingberg, M., Collard, J., Hartley-Clark, L., & Horfiniak, K. (2013). Australian unity wellbeing index survey 29.0 Part A : The report. In The wellbing of Australia—Two extra hours, mothers and mothers in law. Melbourne: Australian Centre on Quality of Life, School of Psychology, Deakin University.
Cummins, R. A., & Wooden, M. (2014). Personal resilience in times of crisis: The implications of SWB homeostasis and set-points. Journal of Happiness Studies, 15, 223–235.
DAFNE Study Group. (2002). Training in flexible, intensive insulin management to enable dietary freedom in people with type 1 diabetes: dose adjustment for normal eating (DAFNE) randomised controlled trial. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 325(7367), 746.
Diener, E. D., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71–75.
Elliott, T. R., Shewchuk, R. M., Miller, D. M., & Richards, J. S. (2001). Profiles in problem solving: Psychological well-being and distress among persons with diabetes mellitus. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 8(4), 283–291.
Engel, L., & Cummins, R. (2011). Impact of dose adjustment for normal eating in Australia (OzDAFNE) on subjective wellbeing, coping resources and negative affects in adults with type 1 diabetes: A prospective comparison study. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 91(3), 271–279.
Gargiulo, R. A., & Stokes, M. A. (2009). Subjective well-being as an indicator for clinical depression. Social Indicators Research, 92(3), 517–527.
Goldney, R. D., Phillips, P. J., Fisher, L. J., & Wilson, D. H. (2004). Diabetes, depression, and quality of life a population study. Diabetes Care, 27(5), 1066–1070.
Grigsby, A. B., Anderson, R. J., Freedland, K. E., Clouse, R. E., & Lustman, P. J. (2002). Prevalence of anxiety in adults with diabetes: a systematic review. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 53(6), 1053–1060.
Holmes-Truscott, E., Skinner, T. C., Pouwer, F., & Speight, J. (2015). Negative appraisals of insulin therapy are common among adults with Type 2 diabetes using insulin: Results from Diabetes MILES–Australia cross-sectional survey. Diabetic Medicine,. doi:10.1111/dme.12729.
Holt, R. I., de Groot, M., & Golden, S. H. (2014). Diabetes and depression. Current Diabetes Reports, 14(16), 1–9.
International Wellbeing Group. (2006). Personal wellbeing index. Melbourne: Australian Centre on Quality of Life, Deakin University.
Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., & Williams, J. B. (2001). The Phq-9. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 16(9), 606–613.
McIntyre, H. D., Knight, B. A., Harvey, D. M., Noud, M. N., Hagger, V. L., & Gilshenan, K. S. (2010). Dose adjustment for normal eating (DAFNE)—an audit of outcomes in Australia. Medical Journal of Australia, 192(11), 637–640.
Noh, J. H., Park, J. K., Lee, H. J., Kwon, S. K., Lee, S. H., Park, J. H., et al. (2005). Depressive symptoms of type 2 diabetics treated with insulin compared to diabetics taking oral anti-diabetic drugs: A Korean study. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 69(3), 243–248.
Nouwen, A., Nefs, G., Caramlau, I., Connock, M., Winkley, K., Lloyd, C. E., et al. (2011). Prevalence of depression in individuals with impaired glucose metabolism or undiagnosed diabetes a systematic review and meta-analysis of the European Depression in Diabetes (EDID) research consortium. Diabetes Care, 34(3), 752–762.
Nouwen, A., Winkley, K., Twisk, J., Lloyd, C. E., Peyrot, M., Ismail, K., et al. (2010). Type 2 diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for the onset of depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabetologia, 53(12), 2480–2486.
Page, K. N., Davidson, P., Edward, K. L., Allen, J., Cummins, R. A., Thompson, D. R., & Worrall-Carter, L. (2010). Recovering from an acute cardiac event—the relationship between depression and life satisfaction. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 19(5–6), 736–743.
Polonsky, W. H., Anderson, B. J., Lohrer, P. A., Welch, G., Jacobson, A. M., Aponte, J. E., & Schwartz, C. E. (1995). Assessment of diabetes-related distress. Diabetes Care, 18(6), 754–760.
Pouwer, F., Beekman, A. T. F., Nijpels, G., Dekker, J. M., Snoek, F. J., Kostense, P. J., et al. (2003). Rates and risks for co-morbid depression in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus: Results from a community-based study. Diabetologia, 46(7), 892–898.
Pouwer, F., & Hermanns, N. (2009). Insulin therapy and quality of life. A review. Diabetes/metabolism research and reviews, 25(S1), S4–S10.
Redekop, W. K., Koopmanschap, M. A., Stolk, R. P., Rutten, G. E., Wolffenbuttel, B. H., & Niessen, L. W. (2002). Health-related quality of life and treatment satisfaction in Dutch patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care, 25(3), 458–463.
Rubin, R. R., & Peyrot, M. (1999). Quality of life and diabetes. Diabetes/metabolism research and reviews, 15(3), 205–218.
Rubin, R. R., Peyrot, M., & Siminerio, L. M. (2006). Health care and patient-reported outcomes results of the cross-national diabetes attitudes, wishes and needs (DAWN) study. Diabetes Care, 29(6), 1249–1255.
Speight, J., Browne, J. L., Holmes-Truscott, E., Hendrieckx, C., & Pouwer, F. (2011). Diabetes MILES—Australia 2011 survey report. Canberra: Diabetes Australia.
Speight, J., Browne, J. L., Holmes-Truscott, E., Hendrieckx, C., & Pouwer, F. (2012). Diabetes MILES—Australia (management and impact for long-term empowerment and success): Methods and sample characteristics of a national survey of the psychological aspects of living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes in Australian adults. BMC Public Health, 12(1), 120.
Speight, J., Reaney, M. D., & Barnard, K. D. (2009). Not all roads lead to Rome—a review of quality of life measurement in adults with diabetes. Diabetic Medicine, 26(4), 315–327.
van Dam, H. A., van der Horst, F. G., Knoops, L., Ryckman, R. M., Crebolder, H. F., & van den Borne, B. H. (2005). Social support in diabetes: A systematic review of controlled intervention studies. Patient Education and Counseling, 59(1), 1–12.
WHOQoL Group. (1998). Development of the World Health Organization WHOQOL-BREF quality of life assessment. Psychological Medicine, 28(03), 551–558.
Acknowledgments
The Diabetes MILES—Australia 2011 Survey was funded by a National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) Strategic Development Grant. The NDSS is an initiative of the Australian Government administered by Diabetes Australia. In addition, Diabetes MILES—Australia received an unrestricted educational grant from sanofi aventis to support the development of the study website www.diabetesMILES.org and miscellaneous activities.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Holmes-Truscott, E., Browne, J.L., Pouwer, F. et al. Subjective Wellbeing Among Adults with Diabetes: Results from Diabetes MILES—Australia. J Happiness Stud 17, 1205–1217 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-015-9638-4
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-015-9638-4