Research suggestions??

samnorris

Newbie
Messages
3
Hello everybody. My name is Sam and I am a third year psychology student studying at De Montfort University Leicester. I am doing my dissertation or final year research project on type 1 diabetes and mainly just general views of people who suffer from type 1 diabetes about a whole range of things.
I feel that it is important that you understand a little about me and also my reasons for choosing this as a research subject. I am 20 years old, and come from reading. I first became interested in diabetes when I met my girlfriend here in Leicester 2 years ago. I my self am not diabetic but she is. She is type 1 and has been since a very early age (10 years old). When I found this out I decided to carry out some reading just so that I could understand some of what she was going through. From this my interest and curiosity just grew and grew. So now that you understand where my interest has come from maybe you can help me?
I’m currently in the process of drafting up questions for an interview schedule and I would like some help! How do you guys feel about the effect that diabetes has had on you, not in the physical sense but more in an emotional and cognitive sense? Issues such as how much support have you been given? Is this enough? Does it affect your lifestyle? How were you diagnosed? Etc etc. Just issue that you feel are important to you as the diabetic community.
It is important for me to say that what you will not be used as such in my study (unless you wish to be!), this is not part of the actual study itself. This is more an exercise in order for me to construct a decent and well-rounded questionnaire, in order to cover what you guys think are the main things I should be looking at! Obviously you don’t have to answer this if it makes you uncomfortable, also you can send me a personal message if you don’t wish for your answer to be read by others and I can assure you 100% confidentiality and anonymity. I know this has been a long post and I am extremely grateful that you have taken the time to read this far! I eagerly await any replies. Sam
 

increasingly cynical

Well-Known Member
Messages
91
Hi,

If you look around the forum I think you may notice that one of the main issues seems to be the way people get treated within the medical system. This is not specific to diabetes, it is the way the UK medical system works. If your partner is T1 I am sure she will be able to give you valuable insights into the questions to raise which are important to T1s. Maybe you should run the questionairre beyond 'emotional' issues however, as it would be worth tracking where these stand in relation to people's frustration with "treatment".

Good luck in your studies

:?