Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year from your friends here at the Behavioral Diabetes Institute. And thank goodness that 2021 is behind us!

Despite the constraints of COVID, we have made it a productive year:

• Behavioral diabetes research: During 2021, we authored or co-authored 18 scientific publications , including three new publications in the last few weeks, and 8 poster presentations at major scientific meetings (See it all here!). Our work has covered a wide range, including studies on the benefits of continuous glucose monitoring, why some people with diabetes struggle with taking their prescribed medications, how some people with type 1 diabetes often chose to keep their glucose levels dangerously low, and more.
• Virtual training for healthcare professionals. BDI staff developed and presented three one-day training programs for healthcare professionals: “Understanding and Addressing Problematic Medication Taking in Diabetes,” “Addressing Psychosocial Challenges in Type 1 Diabetes,” and “The Problem of Hypoglycemia in Diabetes Care: An Integrative Overview of the Latest Behavioral, Pharmacological and Technological Solutions.” The response was overwhelmingly positive for each program, and we were delighted to have participants joining us from across the United States and beyond. And we are now working hard at developing new programs for 2022.
• A new way to assess the problem of diabetes distress. We developed and published the Type 2 Diabetes Distress Assessment System (T2-DDAS), the first self-report tool for assessing diabetes distress developed specifically for people with type 2 diabetes. Check it out in the Scales and Measures Section of our Website!
• EMBARK and Act1vate: In collaboration with our colleagues at the Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute and the University of California San Francisco, the BDI team continued to be integrally involved in the development and facilitation of new NIH-funded programs for reducing diabetes distress in adults living with type 1 diabetes.
• Case consultation group for mental health professionals: BDI was proud to host our colleagues as we continued to gather monthly in 2021 (virtually, of course) to review and discuss our ongoing behavioral diabetes counseling experiences. Contact us at info@behavioraldiabetes.org if you would like further information about our ongoing meetings during 2022.
• Behavioral diabetes counseling: Of course, we continued to provide individual counseling every day to people who are struggling with diabetes. This critical part of our mission will never stop!

Just a few January events:

• January 10: Dr. Polonsky will be presenting (virtually) at the University of Utah’s Endocrine Grand Rounds, on “New Perspectives on Problematic Medication Adherence in Diabetes.”

• January 12: BDI hosts the San Diego-wide, monthly case consultation meeting (for mental health professionals working in the field of diabetes). Contact us at info@behavioraldiabetes.org if you are in the greater San Diego area and would like further information about this program and about our 2022 meetings.

Looking forward:

The mission of BDI has always centered on the idea of hope: that with good care and effort, odds are good that you can live a long and healthy life with diabetes. We have seen how diabetes treatments, technologies and outcomes have improved over the years. So, hang in there. We have high hopes for 2022, with the expectation that the pandemic will end and life and opportunities will improve for all of us. Wishing you the best!