Psychological Crisis Intervention for COVID-19 Lockdown Stress in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: Survey Study and Qualitative Analysis

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the worldviews of most people. Social isolation after the COVID-19 lockdown has not only led to economic difficulties but also resulted in adverse psychological reactions. As in most countries, including Poland, this situation has been very challenging for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). In Poland, a crisis intervention team for patients with T1DM was established. The goal of the team was to provide psychological support for these patients, if needed, and to present information concerning how these patients may obtain medical consultations and prescriptions. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to analyze the psychological parameters and main emotional reactions of patients with T1DM during the COVID-19 lockdown. METHODS: An email with information concerning the possibility of having a web-based consultation with psychologists and psychiatrists and an attached set of psychological tests was sent to all patients with T1DM who were under the care of an outpatient diabetes clinic. The consultations were performed by licensed clinical psychologists and psychologists. This study was approved by the Bioethics Committee of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. RESULTS: The patients who decided to use psychological support had statistically higher levels of anxiety (state P=.043; trait P=.022), stress (P=.001) than those of patients from the group who did not seek support. CONCLUSIONS: The presented intervention team may be perceived as an example of important and successful cooperation and communication between specialists of different fields of medicine (diabetology, psychiatry, and psychology) in a crisis situation.