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Home > About Breakthrough T1D UK & our impact > Our research > Research projects > How can we better understand mental health risks in people with type 1 diabetes?
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Breakthrough T1D is proud to support Dr Tom Wylie’s pioneering research project investigating the impact of type 1 diabetes (T1D) on mental health, in partnership with the Daphne Jackson Trust. The study, entitled Retrospective Longitudinal Analysis of Diabetes’ psychological impact to stratify risk (RELOAD), will explore whether it is possible to identify people who may need mental health support following a T1D diagnosis.
Dr Wylie’s work at Imperial Collage London is being supported through a Daphne Jackson Trust Fellowship. This scheme provides 3-year, part-time funding to help talented researchers return to their careers after a break of 2 years or more. The Daphne Jackson Trust Fellowships enable applicants to retrain after their career break and help researchers to rebuild their skills and networks and increase their confidence.
This funding will enable Dr Wylie to apply his expertise to an urgent question: Can we predict who will struggle with mental health following a type 1 diabetes diagnosis?
T1D is a lifelong condition that requires careful and constant monitoring. This can be overwhelming for people affected by type 1, and research has shown that people living with T1D are at an increased risk of developing mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.
However, not everyone with T1D experiences psychological distress. The challenge facing healthcare professionals is how to identify people most at risk so that they can receive the right support. We know that poor mental health can lead to difficulties in managing T1D effectively, which can increase the likelihood of a person experiencing complications because of their T1D. Dr Wylie’s research aims to bridge this gap by looking at key indicators that could predict mental health challenges early on.
Dr Wylie’s project builds on an existing study, called ADDRESS-2, that has been recruiting people with T1D within 6-months of diagnosis, since 2010. The RELOAD study will use data from the ADDRESS-2 study alongside psychological questionnaires to assess the factors that may contribute to mental health issues in people with T1D. By linking questionnaire responses with NHS England health records using secure computing methods, Dr Wylie aims to uncover patterns that could help healthcare professionals identify those who may need additional mental health support.
By understanding the factors that contribute to mental health challenges in people newly diagnosed with T1D, this research has the potential to transform care. It could lead to targeted interventions, ensuring that those most at risk receive the support they need at the earliest opportunity. In the long term, these findings may also inform the development of new strategies to improve mental wellbeing of people with T1D.
Dr Wylie said: “Living with type one myself and working with many others with the condition, I’ve seen the way it can affect people in drastically different and currently unpredictable ways. There was a unique opportunity in the ADDRESS-2 cohort’s data linkage to test whether certain risk factor measurements would predict those who had experienced poor mental health after diagnosis, so people more at risk can be helped before this happens. I’m delighted this has been made possible by Breakthrough T1D and the Daphne Jackson Trust and am excited to get started!”
Breakthrough T1D UK is excited to support this crucial research and looks forward to seeing how Dr Wylie’s findings can help shape the future of diabetes care. By investing in innovative projects like RELOAD, we can make life better for everyone affected by type 1 diabetes.
Dr Kathleen Gillespie and her team are researching how signalling molecules help coordinate immune cell attacks on the pancreas, contributing to T1D development.
Dr Kathleen Gillespie and her team will investigate whether existing tests could help predict how quickly a person in the early stages of T1D will progress.
Dr Matthew Anson is studying whether hybrid closed loop technology, also known as an artificial pancreas, affects the worsening of diabetic eye disease.
Dr Samet Sahin is developing a simple tool to allow healthcare professionals to quickly and easily check someone’s C-peptide levels, a measure of how much insulin they are releasing.
