Stigma Resources

Diabetes stigma can come from all corners of a person’s life — whether it’s at home, at work and even in healthcare appointments. It can be defined as negative attitudes and beliefs about an individual or group because of their diabetes.

Studies suggest that stigma is associated with decreased self-care behaviours, higher haemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) levels, and higher frequency of diabetes complications in adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes (Eitel et al, 2024).

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) can affect individuals at any age, yet often develops in the younger population, accounting for approximately 8% of diabetes diagnoses in the UK. Although there has been extensive research into the physiology of diabetes, less work has addressed the psychosocial demands and consequent effects on management and quality of life. This article is a critical synthesis of the literature, adopting the Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework (Stangl et al, 2019) as a theoretical lens through which the multifactorial impact of stigma for individuals living with T1DM is unpacked. 
Having this understanding can help general practice nurses (GPNs) recognise how stigma within T1DM can permeate throughout the five layers of society: individual, interpersonal, community, organisational, and policy. A case study is provided to highlight how nurses working within primary and community care are well positioned to help understand the
causes of stigma for individuals living with T1DM.