Diabetes Distress, Emotional Dysregulation, and Depressive Symptoms among Black Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Authors

Lauren Cebulske, The University of Texas at AustinFollow
Pablo Montero-Zamora, The University of Texas at AustinFollow
Victoria Saba, The University of Texas at AustinFollow
Natalie McLaurin, The University of Texas at AustinFollow
Tianyu Wang, The University of Texas at AustinFollow
Ashley Welsh, The University of Texas at AustinFollow
Hirofumi Tanaka, The University of Texas at AustinFollow
Mary Steinhardt, The University of Texas at AustinFollow

Abstract

The daily demands of diabetes self-management can be distressing, causing greater depressive symptomatology. Further, diabetes distress is positively associated with feelings of frustration and worry, causing increased emotional dysregulation that may further explain the association between diabetes distress and depressive symptomology. The current study used cross-sectional data to assess the role of emotional dysregulation as a mediator of the association between diabetes distress and depressive symptoms in Black adults with type 2 diabetes. Participants (n = 284, 72% female, 62±11 years old, mean diabetes diagnosis duration 11±9 years) were recruited through local churches and completed self-report measures of diabetes distress, emotional dysregulation, and depressive symptoms. Path analyses were performed using Mplus 8 MODEL INDIRECT. Bootstrapping was used to establish robust point estimates. There was a significant direct effect between diabetes distress and depressive symptoms (β = .12, p = .02). A significant indirect effect was also found between diabetes distress and depressive symptoms through emotional dysregulation (β = .30, p < .001). The overall association between diabetes distress and depressive symptoms, including both direct and indirect effects, was β = .42, p < .001. Thus, the positive association between diabetes distress and depressive symptoms was mediated by emotional dysregulation. These findings suggest that strategies aimed at enhancing emotional regulation along with strategies to reduce diabetes distress may decrease depressive symptoms among Black adults with type 2 diabetes.

Author ORCID Identifier

Mary A. Steinhardt, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3203-7054

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

Recommended Citation

Cebulske, Lauren; Montero-Zamora, Pablo; Saba, Victoria; McLaurin, Natalie; Wang, Tianyu; Welsh, Ashley; Tanaka, Hirofumi; and Steinhardt, Mary (2025) "Diabetes Distress, Emotional Dysregulation, and Depressive Symptoms among Black Adults with Type 2 Diabetes," Health Behavior Research: Vol. 8: No. 1. https://doi.org/10.4148/2572-1836.1275