Publications

BDI along with colleagues in the field of diabetes health and mental well being are continuously working on research projects to further improve the lives of people living with diabetes worldwide.

When does personalized feedback make a difference? A narrative review of recent findings and their implications for promoting better diabetes self-care

Authors:  Polonsky, WH., Fisher, L. Abstract Providing behavioral, biomarker, or disease risk feedback to patients is a key component of most behavioral interventions in diabetes, but it remains unclear what is necessary for such feedback to be truly engaging and effective. We sought to identify how personalized health-related feedback is most effectively designed and delivered, and how feedback may be

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Understanding the sources of diabetes distress in adults with type 1 diabetes

Authors: Fisher, L., Polonsky, WH., Hessler, DM., Masharani, U., Blumer, I., Peters, AL., Strycher, LA., Bowyer, V. Abstract Aims: To identify the unique sources of diabetes distress (DD) for adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Methods: Sources of DD were developed from qualitative interviews with 25 T1D adults and 10 diabetes health care providers. Survey items were then developed and

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Causal and bidirectional linkages over time between depression and diabetes regimen distress in adults with type 2 diabetes

Authors: Hessler, D., Fisher, L., Strycker, LA., Arean, PA., Bowyer, V. Abstract Aims: Diabetes regimen distress (RD) and depression are related constructs, however the nature of their relationship has not been explored over time, leading to difficulties differentiating between RD and depression and for selection of programs of care. We examined longitudinal associations between RD and depression to explicate the

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The confusing tale of depression and distress in patients with diabetes: a call for greater clarity and precision

Authors: Fisher, L. Gonzalez, JS. , Polonsky, WH. Abstract Studies have identified significant linkages between depression and diabetes, with depression associated with poor self-management behaviour, poor clinical outcomes and high rates of mortality. However, findings are not consistent across studies, yielding confusing and contradictory results about these relationships. We suggest that there has been a failure to define and measure

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What is so tough about self-monitoring of blood glucose? Perceived obstacles among patients with Type 2 diabetes

Authors:  Polonsky, WH. Fisher, L., Hessler, D., Edelman, SV. Abstract Aims: To identify patient-reported obstacles to self-monitoring of blood glucose among those with Type 2, both insulin users and non-insulin users, and to investigate how obstacles are associated with frequency of self-monitoring and use of self-monitoring data. Methods: Patients with Type 2 diabetes (n = 886, 65% insulin users) who attended

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Changes in A1C levels are significantly associated with changes in levels of the cardiovascular risk biomarker hs-CRP: results from the SteP study

Authors: Schnell, O., Amann-Zalan, I., Jelsovsky, Z., Moritz, A., Bermejo, JL., Parkin, CG., Schweitzer, MA., Fisher, L., Polonsky, WH. Abstract Objective: The effect of therapeutic strategies on cardiovascular (CV) disease can be evaluated by monitoring changes in CV risk biomarkers. This study investigated the effect of a structured self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) protocol and the resulting improvements in glycemic

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Self-monitoring of blood glucose in noninsulin-using type 2 diabetic patients: right answer, but wrong question: self-monitoring of blood glucose can be clinically valuable for noninsulin users

Authors: Polonsky, WH., Fisher, L. Abstract Given the importance of glycemic control in the development of diabetes complications, the plethora of tools now available to monitor the day-to-day trends in glycemia is remarkable. In this regard, self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) has been considered a key component of patient management. Arguably, there remains almost universal agreement that SMBG should be

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The impact of structured blood glucose testing on attitudes toward self-management among poorly controlled, insulin-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes

Authors: Fisher, L., Polonsky, WH., Parkin, CG., Jelsovsky, Z., Petersen, B., Wagner, RS. Abstract Introduction: Patients with T2DM often view self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) as burdensome and pointless, which may affect their broader attitudes toward diabetes management. We examined how a structured SMBG protocol influenced diabetes self-efficacy and autonomous motivation over time, and linked these to changes in glycemic

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When is diabetes distress clinically meaningful?: establishing cut points for the Diabetes Distress Scale

Authors: Fisher, L., Hessler, DM., Polonsky, WH., Mullan, J. Abstract Objective: To identify the pattern of relationships between the 17-item Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS17) and diabetes variables to establish scale cut points for high distress among patients with type 2 diabetes. Research design and methods: Recruited were 506 study 1 and 392 study 2 adults with type 2 diabetes from

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A survey of blood glucose monitoring in patients with type 2 diabetes: are recommendations from health care professionals being followed?

Authors: Polonsky, WH., Fisher, L., Hessler, D., Edelman, SV. Abstract Objective: To survey the self-reported use of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), both insulin users (IUs) and non-insulin users (NIUs), in the United States and to examine: how often patients test; what SMBG instructions patients report receiving from their health care providers (HCPs);

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BDI Monthly Events

September 10Case Consultation
September 10: BDI hosts the San Diego-wide, monthly case consultation meeting (for mental health professionals working in the field of diabetes). Contact us at [email protected] if you are in the greater San Diego area and would like further information about this program.
September 14T1D Meet-up
September 14: Time for another T1D meet-up! GrownupT1Ds, a wonderful nonprofit here in southern California, which organizes fun social events for adults with type 1 diabetes here in southern California. This next one will be at 2 pm at Altar Society Brewing & Coffee Co, 230 Pine Ave, Long Beach. This event is free, but space is limited. Please RSVP at www.grownupt1ds.org
September 27Scripps Presentation
September 27: Dr. Polonsky (BDI President), will be presenting The Power of Psych at Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute’s 2025 Updates in Diabetes Management, in La Jolla (CA). See: https://www.scripps.org/events/2025-updates-in-diabetes-management-september-27-2025

Publications

BDI along with colleagues in the field of diabetes health and mental well being are continuously working on research projects

Read More