Mind Matters: Diabetes & Mental Health

The CDE Academy is proud to invite you to register for our final Journal Club Webinar of 2026, taking place on 27 October 2026 from 19h30 to 20h30 GMT+2 (SAST/CAT). Each session is real-time, online and CPD-accredited.

All our topics are carefully selected to be of interest to all members of the wider interdisciplinary diabetes team.

Beyond the Numbers

Diabetes care is often shaped by what we can measure: glucose levels, HbA1c, complications and treatment targets. Yet living with diabetes involves far more than managing numbers. It requires daily decisions, constant vigilance, emotional adjustment and the sustained effort of managing a condition that rarely offers time out.

For some people, this burden becomes diabetes distress. For others, it may be accompanied by anxiety, depression, fear of hypoglycaemia, concerns about complications, financial strain or stigma. These experiences are not incidental to diabetes management; they can influence motivation, engagement with treatment, self-care and the relationship between people with diabetes and their healthcare professionals.

Recognising Emotional Burden in Practice

How well do we recognise these experiences in routine practice? A person may appear clinically stable while struggling emotionally. A brief question about wellbeing may open an important conversation, but it may not reveal the full extent of someone’s difficulties.

This Journal Club will explore how we recognise emotional burden, distinguish different forms of psychological difficulty and respond meaningfully within a multidisciplinary team. We will also consider what happens after distress is identified: who responds, and whether our services offer realistic and accessible pathways to support.

Expert Insight from Dr Danella Eliasov

We will be joined by Dr Danella Eliasov for this important discussion on the relationship between mental wellbeing and diabetes care.

Making Space for What Matters

This session is an opportunity to reflect on our everyday practice, the assumptions we bring to consultations and the limits of a purely biomedical approach. Across the diabetes care team, each professional may notice something different—and each has a role in creating the conditions for people to speak openly and receive appropriate support.

As we close the year, we return to a fundamental question: are we helping people manage their diabetes, or are we also attending to what it takes to live with it?