Diabetes burnout among emerging adults with type 1 diabetes: a mixed methods investigation

Feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and frustrated by the daily demands of diabetes management has been referred to as diabetes burnout. The goal of the study was to develop a measure of diabetes burnout and to link this measure to psychological health and diabetes outcomes. Emerging adults with type 1 diabetes (n = 88, average age 27) completed an online questionnaire and an HbA1c assessment; a subset was interviewed by phone to obtain a more in-depth understanding of burnout. Exploratory factor analysis revealed three burnout domains: exhaustion, detachment, and powerlessness. Burnout was related to higher psychological distress, higher diabetes distress, and poorer diabetes outcomes. Burnout independently predicted higher HbA1c, independent of diabetes distress. Qualitative interviews revealed that participants defined burnout in terms of exhaustion and powerlessness and resolved burnout by acceptance and utilization of social resources. Prevention and intervention efforts might target resilience as a way to mitigate burnout.