Participants required for dissertation research on Type 1 diabetes and stigma

[eilidhgm]

I am a fourth year undergraduate student at the University of Stirling, studying BA Psychology and Sociology. As part of my course requirements, I must complete a Sociology-based dissertation, and I have chosen the topic of Type 1 diabetes and stigma. As I am affected by Type 1 diabetes, this is a topic that relates greatly to me. I also have a great deal of interest in finding out more about how other Type 1 diabetics regard societies view towards their condition, and to add to the lack of literature available on this topic would be a very positive thing for Type 1 diabetes.

I am looking to recruit 5-7 participants to be interviewed for my research - you must be over 18, have Type 1 diabetes, and live in the UK. This interview can either be carried out through Skype, over the phone, or face-to-face if you live in the Glasgow area – whichever you are comfortable with. It will take no longer than 30 minutes of your time. The interview shall involve 11 questions regarding your own experience of having diabetes, and how others have viewed it.

If you are interested in participating in this study, please contact me via my email address: eim00045@students.stir.ac.uk. I am more than happy to answer any queries you may have regarding any aspect of the research or the participation process. If you agree to participate, I will then send you an information sheet and a consent form to fill in.

Thank you very much, I greatly appreciate your time and interest.

Eilidh Macdiarmid

 

[Northerner]

This has been approved, please help if you can 🙂

 

[HOBIE]

Tried to do but problem with Email ?😳

 

[Pumper_Sue]

In 54 years of type 1 diabetes I have never encountered stigma, Ignorance yes stigma no.

 

[mikeyB]

Stigma is, broadly, a mark of disgrace or shame. I’ve experienced casual stigmatisation, mainly by doctors in fact, particularly with regard to the development of other conditions. The remark “It’s because of the diabetes” is just as stigmatising as “it’s because he’s a Muslim/Jew/Catholic”, particularly as the subtext is a classification of difference, and inferiority.

Am I alone in having experienced that? I doubt it. Ignorance nourishes stigmatisation

 

[mikeyB]

Like Sue, slight problems with the email, but I’m happy to help out. I’ll use the Private Message system to give you my contact details. Watch out for the Inbox to signal you. English only, my Gaelic is rudimentary

 

[mikeyB]

By the way, it’s worth saying that the life of a T2 diabetic is one long stigmatisation, unjustifiably. That’s a can of worms to be opened another day.

 

[trophywench]

In 46+ years of T1 - I don't recognise there being any stigma either (other than old GPs being convinced eg the fact that exactly half of one big toe has lost feeling is down to diabetes - it never has been - it's to do with dropping a heavy grillpan edge-on onto the nailbed and practically killing that branch of the big toe nerve - so yep it's neuropathy alright - but never 'diabetic' neuropathy! LOL) although I do accept that a couple of things I have or had are related - fast growing cataracts and hypothyroidism. Easily sorted and nothing to whinge about.

The only people who've been inconvenienced by my diabetes is me and my own close family to a lesser degree mainly but occasionally a bit more like when I've been extremely hypo - but that just comes in the complete package of me - so they've all accepted it NP.

If anyone tried to 'stigmatise' me, they'd better be prepared for a verbal slashing and a very fast education - and believe me I could quite easily rant for England and know some very choice language I'm not scared to use.

Plus of course, each one of us has very easy access to more than enough insulin to cause severe damage to a third party if goaded into it - they might be well advised to think about that aspect, before criticising any of us !

 

[Docb]

By the way, it’s worth saying that the life of a T2 diabetic is one long stigmatisation, unjustifiably. That’s a can of worms to be opened another day.

My experience does not support that view. Maybe its because I am not an overweight, cake eating, beer swilling, fag smoking, junk food loving slob who refuses to accept that their life style might have something to do with their condition and thinks that it is somebody else's problem to fix it. There maybe a lot of stereotyping because of the way diabetes is portrayed in the press - something you get if you are stupid - but whether this amounts to the stigmatisation of anybody with type 2, I am not sure.

 

[KARNAK]

In 46+ years of T1 - I don't recognise there being any stigma either (other than old GPs being convinced eg the fact that exactly half of one big toe has lost feeling is down to diabetes - it never has been - it's to do with dropping a heavy grillpan edge-on onto the nailbed and practically killing that branch of the big toe nerve - so yep it's neuropathy alright - but never 'diabetic' neuropathy! LOL) although I do accept that a couple of things I have or had are related - fast growing cataracts and hypothyroidism. Easily sorted and nothing to whinge about.

The only people who've been inconvenienced by my diabetes is me and my own close family to a lesser degree mainly but occasionally a bit more like when I've been extremely hypo - but that just comes in the complete package of me - so they've all accepted it NP.

If anyone tried to 'stigmatise' me, they'd better be prepared for a verbal slashing and a very fast education - and believe me I could quite easily rant for England and know some very choice language I'm not scared to use.

Plus of course, each one of us has very easy access to more than enough insulin to cause severe damage to a third party if goaded into it - they might be well advised to think about that aspect, before criticising any of us !

You do make I laugh Jenny.

 

[mikeyB]

That’s exactly what I mean by stigmatisation, the attitude of the press. And it spills over into Type 1.

How many times have folk with T1 felt the need to qualify the statement “I have Diabetes” with the addition of supplemental information? That’s hidden stigmatisation of which we’ve all been guilty.

When folk ask you what sort of Diabetes you have, the correct response is Diabetes Mellitus, not Diabetes Insipidus. That shuts them up. So does telling them it’s the rare infectious sort, then coughing dramatically. There is plenty of fun to be had stomping around in the shallows of ignorance without stigmatising anyone.