Research: How can we improve diabetes care?

[Tracey Dorey]

Hello

My name is Tracey, I’m a PhD researcher from City, University of London. I'm working with a team looking at how we can try to improve type 2 diabetes care for people who also have a severe mental illness. Rather than just us deciding where we should focus our attention, we'd like to ask for your help to know where you think we can try to make improvements.

If you’d like to take part , we'll ask you to complete three short surveys (each between 5 and 10 minutes). The first you can complete now (the link is below) and the other two will be sent to you about 2-3 weeks apart. All those who participate will receive a £10 voucher for their time.

You can get more information and complete the first survey here: https://cityunilondon.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eM0I988nO4RXHyl

If you’ve got any questions please just ask. Thanks for reading this.

Take care
Tracey


This study has been approved by @Josh DUK

 

[Docb]

It may help if you could say a little more about the sort of person you are looking to recruit. For example, is it anybody at all with an opinion; or people with T2 and mental illness; or people closely associated with somebody with T2 and mental illness.

Also, how do you define severe mental illness.

By the way this is not a criticism of your request. I think the area you want to look at is important and I wish you well with your studies.

 

[DaveB]

Hi. I agree with Docb's input. Yes, I'm mid-way between T2 and LADA so do you want input from anyone with diabetes or an opinion on the subject? BTW, I do (IT volunteer) work for a national mental health charity. I talked to a slightly overweight T2 Service User (SU) a few years back who told me she was about to go low-carbing. A few months later she told me how well it was working. I happened to notice some diet briefing that was about to be given to a group of SUs and it was the usual PHE 'low-fat, low-sugar, low-salt' nonsense. So perhaps, in common with anyone with T2, it remains important to provide scientifically based diet advice and not PHE food-industry based advice? I appreciate with MH there are many factors involved so not simple.

 

[Tracey Dorey]

Good morning,

Thanks both for flagging this up, you're right it would've been far more helpful if I had put this in the original post!

In terms of the study criteria - I am looking for people to participate who have been diagnosed with both type 2 diabetes and severe mental illness - either themselves or as a carer for someone with these diagnoses. I appreciate this is specific but it was important to have this narrow focus as there is already some great research underway for people without a severe mental illness, unfortunately people with such diagnoses are often excluded. We have defined severe mental illness as a diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar or other psychoses.

Thanks DaveB too for your comment - it's really helpful to gain such insights.

If you can see anything else that would be helpful to clarify please let me know, or any other forums I could approach to let people know about this project I would really appreciate it.

Take care
Tracey

 

[Drummer]

The only people I have come across in this scene are the crazy ones who don't have diabetes advising those who do on the 'healthy' carbohydrates they ought to eat at every meal to make themselves less well every day.
For many the treatment of type two is so simple and obvious - but they are the sane ones.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

What care?

 

[Docb]

My goodness, you have set your self a real task. But then, that's what a PhD should be all about.

I cannot off hand think of any forum members who might fit your criteria although there maybe some watchers who do.

Have you thought about finding your way into the carer community? Although a carer myself I have no idea how I would go about it, carer support being very fragmented. I'm guessing you have already thought about finding recruits through mental health services and I wish you well with that!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Good luck with your research Tracey