Oral Presentation Australian Diabetes Society and the Australian Diabetes Educators Association Annual Scientific Meeting 2014

Pathways to mental healthcare: online assessment and feedback report (#133)

Lisa Robins 1 2 , Kay Wilhelm 1 2 3 , Judy Proudfoot 4 , Joanna Crawford 2 3 , Lesley Campbell 5 , Jerry Greenfield 5
  1. Consultation Liaison Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  2. Faces in the Street, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  3. School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Randwick, NSW, Australia
  4. Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  5. Diabetes Centre, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Background: The Consultation Liaison Psychiatry Service of St Vincent’s Hospital (SVH) Sydney is frequently asked for a transparent method of identifying and enabling appropriate referrals for mental health problems in people living with diabetes.

The Diabetes MILES 2011 Survey Report concluded: “Many of those who reported clinically relevant symptoms of depression and/or anxiety appeared not to have received a diagnosis for their condition, and were therefore unlikely to be receiving the requisite care, treatment and support…. Depression, anxiety and/or diabetes-related distress are unlikely to be detected routinely without systematic screening and monitoring.”


This multidisciplinary project (including a team of diabetes educators, psychiatrists, researchers, endocrinologists and clinical psychologists) has produced an online mental health assessment with tailored feedback report that can be routinely administered to identify the mental health needs of patients in a diabetes service.


Aims: to develop (and evaluate) an online mental health assessment and feedback report for people with diabetes. The report will identify differing presentations and levels of need for psychological support, in order to facilitate access to appropriate mental health care in a diabetes service or clinic.


Method: The online assessment and feedback report have been developed. The assessment includes self-report measures of diabetes-related distress (Diabetes Distress Scale), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), disordered eating (Eating module–PHQ), physical symptoms (PHQ-15), panic (panic module-PHQ), lifestyle behaviours including smoking, alcohol use, and physical activity (the Fantastic Checklist), personal wellbeing (PWI), interpersonal style of relating (The Relationships Questionnaire) and patient priorities. Adult outpatients at the Diabetes Services, SVH, Sydney, will be recruited to a pilot trial to assess the feasibility and usability of the assessment and feedback report.


Results: The protocol and preliminary results of the pilot trial will be presented.


Conclusion: If found to be feasible and well-received by patients, online mental health assessment and feedback may be a helpful method for diabetes educators and endocrinologists to identify and enable appropriate referrals to mental health services.

  1. Speight J, Browne JL, Holmes-Truscott E, Hendrieck C, Pouwer F, on behalf of the Diabetes MILES Australia reference group (2011). Diabetes MILES – Australia 2011 Survey Report. Diabetes Australia: Canberra.