Living in COVID Times: Experiences from People living with Diabetes
By Elizabeth Dupont, International Diabetes Federation Europe
To better understand the experience of living with diabetes during the pandemic and the overall impact this had on their mental health, self-management and care, identify gaps in healthcare provision across Europe as well as good practices developed during the crisis, IDF Europe conducted a survey on the impact COVID-19 had on people with diabetes, based on their perceptions and experiences.
Between August and October of 2020, IDF Europe conducted a survey to gather perspectives from people with diabetes on their lives during the pandemic. The survey recorded responses from 3,480 people living with diabetes in 32 European countries. One of the key findings of the report revealed that the pandemic had a severe impact on the mental health of people living with diabetes, with over 50% of respondents reporting a deterioration in their mental health and over 40% indicating feeling very or extremely more anxious during this period.
The report also highlights many geographical inequalities in access to diabetes care across Europe. Difficulties in access, as well as financial worries, were especially marked in central and eastern European countries as well as in the south of Europe.
Download the report to read more about the findings and also IDF Europe’s recommendations for restructuring health systems post-pandemic here.