Behavioral & Psychosocial Support Flashcards

A 16-year-old with type 1 diabetes begins omitting insulin to lose weight. This behavior is BEST categorized as:

Answer: Diabulimia

Diabulimia refers to the deliberate restriction of insulin for the purpose of weight loss, a disordered eating behavior unique to people with type 1 diabetes.

In the Transtheoretical Model, a patient who says 'I know I should check my blood sugar, but I'm not ready yet' is MOST likely in which stage?

Answer: Contemplation

Acknowledging a need for change while not yet committing to action is the hallmark of the Contemplation stage.

Which validated tool is specifically designed to measure diabetes-related emotional distress rather than general depression?

Answer: Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS)

The Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS) measures distress in four domains specific to living with diabetes: emotional burden, regimen distress, interpersonal distress, and physician distress.

A patient from a collectivist culture declines to take insulin at the dinner table because it draws attention. The MOST culturally responsive action for the educator is to:

Answer: Explore prefilled pen options the patient can use discreetly before the meal

Offering practical, patient-centered solutions that respect cultural values—such as pre-dosing discreetly—promotes adherence without dismissing the patient's social context.

Perceived self-efficacy in diabetes management is BEST strengthened through which type of experience, according to Bandura?

Answer: Mastery experiences (successful task completion)

Bandura identified mastery experiences—actually succeeding at a behavior—as the most powerful source of self-efficacy beliefs.

Which approach is MOST appropriate when a patient with diabetes expresses guilt about a recent high-calorie meal?

Answer: Normalize the experience and redirect toward problem-solving for future situations

Normalizing lapses and pivoting to problem-solving reduces shame-based avoidance and supports a non-judgmental therapeutic alliance.

A patient reports that their family members constantly remind them to check their glucose and avoid certain foods. The patient feels 'suffocated.' This is BEST described as:

Answer: Unsolicited diabetes management policing

Well-intentioned but unwanted oversight by family members can feel controlling rather than supportive, undermining patient autonomy and increasing distress.