No substantial psychological impact of the diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes following targeted population screening: The Hoorn Screening Study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the impact of the diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes on psychological well-being and perceived health status in subjects who participated in a targeted population-screening programme.


METHODS
This study was conducted within the framework of a screening project in the general (aged 50-75 years) Dutch population. The final study population consisted of 259 subjects with a high-risk score on the Symptom Risk Questionnaire; 116 of whom were subsequently detected with Type 2 diabetes and 143 who were non-diabetic. The impact was assessed approximately 2 weeks (shortly) and 6 and 12 months after the diagnosis, using the 12-item Well-Being Questionnaire (W-BQ12) and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36), respectively. Analyses of co-variance (ancova) were used.


RESULTS
Approximately 2 weeks after the diagnosis, no significant mean differences were found on either the W-BQ12 or the SF-36, between the screening-detected Type 2 diabetes subjects and the non-diabetic subjects. Six months after the diagnosis, we found lower scores in the screening-detected Type 2 diabetes subjects compared with the non-diabetic subjects on the SF-36 dimensions Role Physical (mean difference (95% CI); -8.2 (-16.2; -0.1); P = 0.046) and Role Emotional (mean difference (95% CI); -7.9 (-15.3; -0.5); P = 0.038). One year after the test results, no significant mean differences were found between both groups on either instrument (W-BQ12; SF-36).


CONCLUSIONS
The diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes has no substantial adverse or positive effect on psychological well-being and perceived health status, shortly, and 6 and 12 months after the diagnosis.
Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine (EMGO-Institute), VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. marcel.adriaanse@falw.vu.nl
M C
MC
Adriaanse
F J
FJ
Snoek
J M
JM
Dekker
A M W
AM
Spijkerman
G
G
Nijpels
J W R
JW
Twisk
H M
HM
van der Ploeg
R J
RJ
Heine
D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents