"Worried all the time'': distress and the circumstances of everyday life among immigrant Australians with type 2 diabetes.
People with diabetes commonly experience emotional distress and are often diagnosed with depression. To explore lay accounts of the conditions and social aspects of their co-occurrence, we draw on qualitative research conducted in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. Data derive from in-depth interviews with men and women from Greek, Chinese, Indian and Pacific Island communities, all of which have a higher than average incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Participants generally saw stress as a precursor to diabetes, influencing their ability to control symptoms. Yet they also emphasized that life adversities, trauma, disruption, and multiple losses caused distress and depression. Participants regarded diabetes as an illness that interrupted their ability to carry out everyday living tasks. This contributed to their social isolation and unsettled self-identity, resulting in feelings of personal inadequacy, loss and further distress. These themes were common across immigrant groups.
Manderson
Lenore
L
School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Australia. lenore.manderson@med.monash.edu.au
Kokanovic
Renata
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000208:ethnology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010139:Pacific Islands / Q000208:ethnology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology*