<scp>ISPAD Clinical Practice Consensus Guidelines</scp> 2022: Psychological care of children, adolescents and young adults with diabetes

Abstract

The biopsychosocial model proposes that understanding illness requires understanding the complex interactions between biology (e. g., genes, viruses), psychology (e.g., mood, behavior) and social factors (e.g., family, society).1 Treatments must include attention to all of these domains. Being diagnosed with diabetes in childhood or adolescence can interfere with the normative developmental changes and interact with psychological and social factors in youth and their families. Integrated, collaborative care is therefore necessary. Although routine psychosocial screening in pediatric diabetes clinics effectively identifies youth struggling with psychosocial problems and facilitates referrals to appropriate care resources, screening and referral alone are not sufficient to ensure care is actually received.2 Integrated care models ensure that youth with diabetes access mental health care.3–5 When screening programs are initiated, there also must be a process for appropriate referrals to address identified concerns.