Managing diabetes distress and creating supportive workplaces
By Molly Caba, Research Assistant, Behavioural Science team, University of Leicester, Leicester Diabetes Centre.
It is estimated over 4.6 million people in the UK have been diagnosed with diabetes. Of these, around 8% with type 1 diabetes, 90% with type 2 diabetes, and 2% with other forms, including gestational and monogenic diabetes (1). This means approximately one in 12 individuals of working-age are currently living with diabetes (2).
In honour of this year’s World Diabetes Day theme, ‘Diabetes and the Workplace’, we’re focusing on what it means to live with diabetes at work.
Diabetes-related distress refers to the emotional response to the overwhelming demands of living with diabetes (3). Its impact can include reduced engagement with diabetes self-management and not attending clinic appointments. Research suggests a link between diabetes-related distress and work-related distress, whereby high levels of workplace stress can increase diabetes distress (4), potentially leading to burnout and low job satisfaction (5). To help reduce these challenges, employers should work collaboratively with individuals to adapt their working environment to meet their needs.
If someone has diabetes, it is their choice whether they would like to tell their employer and colleagues. However, being open can enable access to support that helps manage the condition and ensures comfort and safety at work (6).
For example, one of our young research participants shared his positive experience of disclosing his diagnosis. This openness allowed him to manage diabetes alongside his manual-labour job. His employer supported him by accommodating healthcare appointments, providing workplace adjustments (such as sharp bins for safe disposal of insulin needles), and educating staff about hypoglycaemia symptoms and appropriate responses.
If you would like to tell your employer about your diabetes diagnosis, but are concerned about their reaction, your rights are protected under the Equality Act 2010 (England, Wales or Scotland) or the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Northern Ireland). These acts state how employers must make ‘reasonable adjustments’, such as those described above, so that someone with a disability or health condition, such as diabetes, can do their job. This includes flexibility over eating and having lunch or tea breaks at different times of the day. You can read more about reasonable adjustments here.
It is also important to consider that not everyone of working age living with diabetes will be in employment. Some individuals may be unable to work for personal reasons, or may be facing difficulties with finding suitable employment. Being out of work or looking for employment can be stressful, especially for those who find the structure and routine of work beneficial for their diabetes management (e.g. getting up at the same time, scheduling meals around their working day). Experiencing work-related worry and frustration can also impact diabetes management through affecting sleep and the foods we eat (7). If you or anyone you know is unemployed and living with diabetes and would like some advice and support, we encourage you to reach out to one of the organisations listed at the bottom of this page.
References:
1. How many people in the UK have diabetes: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about-us/about-the-charity/our-strategy/statistics
2. The five business risks of the Type 2 diabetes epidemic: https://www.britsafe.org/safety-management/2024/the-five-business-risks-of-the-type-2-diabetes-epidemic#:~:text=Employees%20with%20diabetes%20largely%20manage,now%20developing%20Type%202%20diabetes.&text=In%20fact%2C%20for%20every%201%2C000,and%2020%20mild%2Dmoderate%20hypos
3. Chapter 3 – Diabetes Distress: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/for-professionals/improving-care/good-practice/psychological-care/emotional-health-professionals-guide/chapter-3-diabetes-distress
4. Reasonable adjustments for workers with disabilities or health conditions: https://www.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments-for-disabled-workers
5. Work-related diabetes distress among Finnish workers with type 1 diabetes: a national cross-sectional survey: https://occup-med.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12995-016-0099-4#:~:text=Of%20the%20respondents%2C%2070%20%25%20experienced,diabetes%20distress%20and%20general%20stress
6. Supporting someone with diabetes at work: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/living-with-diabetes/life-with-diabetes/employment/employers#Reasonable%20adjustments
7. Think Diabetes: Supporting a cultural shift in the workplace (Health Innovation Network South London): https://healthinnovationnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Report_INTERACTIVE.pdf
Support links:
Diabetes UK
· England, Wales and Northern Ireland
o Call: 0345 123 2399, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm
o Email: helpline@diabetes.org.uk
· Scotland
o Call: 0141 212 8710*, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm.
o Email: helpline.scotland@diabetes.org.uk
Breakthrough T1D
· Website: www.breakthrought1d.org.uk
· Phone: 020 7713 2030
· Breakthrough T1D: guide for newly diagnosed adults
· Breakthrough T1D: guide for parents and carers
Molly Caba.
Latest LDC News:
