Diabetes Distress: The Role of Physician Assistants in Screening Adolescents and Young Adults Living with Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes self-management involves complex psychosocial features such as social, environmental, behavioral, and emotional. Although self–management skills may be learned overtime to reduce the risk of complications, patients continue to live with “diabetes distress”. Physician assistants should be current on strategies including instrumental tools for screening diabetes-related distress. Improving type 1 diabetes self-management begins with identifying the psychosocial factors that create barriers to using the fundamental skills that have already been obtained for practical use to reduce serious health complications