Psychosocial Research to the Fore
By Dr Elizabeth Holmes-Truscott, Prof Jane Speight, Jennifer Halliday, Dr Edith Holloway, Dr Eloise Litterbach, Dr Uffe Søholm, and Dr Ralph Geerling
This month, we were proud to take part in the 2025 ADATS and ADC, highlighting the psychosocial side of diabetes. These annual national conferences bring together researchers, health professionals, and people living with diabetes across Australia, and overseas, to share knowledge and expertise — all with the shared goal of improving diabetes care.
Australian Diabetes Advancements and Technologies Summit (ADATS)
On Tuesday 19th August, Jane and Liz attended ADATS. With a packed program, ADATS featured the latest in diabetes technology. Presentations ranged from ehealth interventions to digital dashboards, from continuous glucose monitoring for people with T2D to AI for just about everything! In the afternoon, Liz gave an invited oral titled Burden to belonging: Exploring the psychosocial impacts of diabetes tech. Her talk showed the impact of tech of person-reported outcomes, the social impact of visible devices, and the role of empathic, person-centred care to reduce tech-related distress and stigma.
Australasian Diabetes Congress (ADC)
Eight ACBRD team members attended ADC, presenting twelve orals and one poster.
Across the three-day event (20–23 August), we also welcomed attendees to our ACBRD stand, showcasing our Diabetes Distress e-Learning program for health professionals. The e-Learning includes 7 modules, which take 40-70 minutes each and can be completed across multiple sessions. The e-Learning is endorsed by the ADEA.
Day 1 – Wednesday
Liz co-led a masterclass on empathy in diabetes care, with Distinguished Professor Tracy Levett-Jones and Dr Ashley Ng. Tracy spoke about why empathy matters in healthcare and how to strengthen it in practice. She also spoke about the Virtual Empathy Museum, a free online resource for health professionals. The Museum includes five diabetes-specific digital stories. Liz shared how empathy can help to reduce diabetes stigma. Liz shared examples of the stigma experienced by women with gestational diabetes (GDM) and how these were used to develop a digital story. Ashley shared a digital story focused on young adults with type 2 diabetes. The session was very interactive, including reflection activities and group discussion.
In the afternoon, Uffe shared a poster about the DAFNEplus trial. It compared the effects of the original type 1 diabetes educational program with an enhanced version, DAFNEplus. His analysis showed that DAFNEplus may offer added quality of life benefits for those who experience greater psychological burden from their diabetes.
In the ADEA Prize Orals session, Jennifer gave three talks on HypoPAST, a fully online program for adults with type 1 diabetes, designed to reduce fear of hypoglycaemia. She shared how the program was developed, the trial results, and participant feedback. HypoPAST did not reduce fear of hypos but it was associated with reduced insulin doses and fewer episodes of severe hypoglycaemia. Feedback shows it helps people feel more confident about reducing their risk of, and managing, hypos in their daily life.
Later that day, Liz spoke in a symposium about screening for, and diagnosis of, GDM. After hearing about the latest evidence and the new ADIPS guidance, Liz brought lived experience voices to the discussion. Liz showed areas where the new guidelines align with community needs, as well as where additional support is still needed — including emotional support, reducing diabetes stigma, and improving post-partum care for women with GDM.
Day 2 – Thursday
Thursday began with an update from ACADI, where Liz presented on the Behavioural Platform, sharing our latest research and calls for an interdisciplinary approach. Later, our team presented three orals. Eloise presented a qualitative study of women with past gestational diabetes. She highlighted the role of family meals in supporting long-term. Jo shared a rapid review on community involvement in type 2 diabetes research, showing what helps and what gets in the way of meaningful engagement. Ralph presented survey data on personality diet and self-regulation in adults with type 2 diabetes, highlighting the importance of personalised care.
Day 3 – Friday
On Friday, Edith presented two qualitative studies on emotional wellbeing. In the first, Edith shared the acceptability of LISTEN, a telehealth program providing support for people experiencing diabetes distress. Insights from the MIND-MAP study on what fosters emotional resilience in adults with diabetes. Finally, Liz shared findings from a study evaluating a diabetes stigma-awareness campaign. Results highlight the need for action that goes beyond awareness to actively reduce stigma.
Wrapping it up
Across ADATS and ADC, ACBRD showcased the power of combining science, empathy, and lived experience. From technology and education programs to family support and community engagement, our team emphasised that diabetes care is about more than numbers — it’s about supporting wellbeing, confidence, and everyday life.
We thank everyone who attended our sessions, shared their stories, and helped move diabetes care toward a future that is empathetic, person-centred, and inclusive — particularly the people with lived experience who contribute to and guide our research.
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