Abstract

LEDON LLANES, Loraine. Psychosocial impact of diabetes mellitus, experiences, meanings, and responses to disease. Rev Cubana Endocrinol [online]. 2012, vol.23, n.1, pp. 76-97. ISSN 1561-2953.

The diabetes mellitus is a serious health problem. The increase of its incidence and prevalence, its complicated character and the severity of the economic, health and the psychosocial impacts generated to legitimize the significance of to reflect on its effects from the more immediate individual and social space on the persons living with this disease. The aim of present paper is to show some features, which from the health-disease process and based on the meanings achieved concerning these, are related to the commonest psychological responses to diabetes: the communication of diagnosis, the psychological world of the person presenting with diabetes, its underlying meanings, the health care process and the features and critical moments in the treatment of the disease. We conclude that the health processes of diabetic include experiences with the potential to provoke severe psychological and social impacts related to the meanings with a psychosocial-cultural basis, structured from these experiences. Recommendations are shared to focus positively on the wellbeing of diabetic persons from the spaces and health services.

Keywords : diabetes mellitus; impact; psychological response; meanings; health care process.