The American Diabetes Association recommends specific and comprehensive guidelines for psychosocial screening and assessments to support the care of people with diabetes. The recommendations propose that clinicians routinely screen patients with diabetes for psychosocial challenges, including mental health concerns, and that, when necessary, patients be referred to mental health providers with knowledge and experience in diabetes. However, as this screening becomes part of routine diabetes care, there are a limited number of mental health professionals with the knowledge and experience to provide diabetes–specific mental health care.

To help bridge this gap, the American Diabetes Association has partnered with the American Psychological Association (APA) on a joint initiative: the Mental Health Provider Diabetes Education Program, a two–part continuing education program for licensed mental health providers interested in further education to support in the psychosocial care of people with diabetes. The program consists of a seven–hour in–person course offered at the Association’s 2017 Scientific Sessions or the APA 2017 Annual Meeting, and an additional five–hour online course. Upon successful completion of the program and knowledge course exams, providers will be eligible to be listed in the ADA Mental Health Provider Referral Directory, which will be freely accessible on the Association’s website. This directory will list mental health providers who have additional education and experience in diabetes and will serve as a resource for patients and referring medical professionals.

“As more collaborative efforts like these take place, the psychosocial side of diabetes can be more adequately and appropriately addressed,” said Korey Hood, PhD, professor of pediatric endocrinology, and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University; and co–author of the Association’s Psychosocial Position Statement and member of the Mental Health Provider Diabetes Education Program development team. “People with diabetes need compassionate clinicians, who are aware of the lifelong challenges of living with diabetes and the impact mental health has on diabetes management. This initiative will have a positive impact on care and lead to optimal health outcomes for them, and at minimum, raise awareness of the psychosocial side of diabetes for clinicians administering care to people with diabetes. Beyond that, these programs offer practical solutions to providing psychosocially–minded diabetes care, screening for psychosocial needs, and making referrals or treating those needs. This will all lead to improved health and quality of life outcomes for people with diabetes.”

Hood notes that additional research needs to be conducted to understand and solve real–world barriers of how best to implement psychosocial care for people with diabetes in both primary care and specialty care settings. Of note, psychosocial care models need to be mindful of insurance provider systems and how to be integrated with cost–effective diabetes care.