Self-Care and Resilience in People with Diabetes Mellitus in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Abstract Isolation and social distancing imposed adjustments in the lifestyle of people with diabetes mellitus (DM), who are more likely to develop more severe forms of COVID-19. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between self-care and resilience in people with DM during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is an observational-cross-sectional web survey with 1,475 Brazilian adults with DM. An instrument of sociodemographic and clinical variables and the DSC and CD-RISC 10 scales were used from March to October 2020. An increase in average resilience was observed with increasing age and that it was higher among proper self-care behaviors. The highest averages of resilience were found for men, with T2DM, under oral medication, no change in DM control during the pandemic, those who had telemedicine consultations, and were isolated. The development of resilience is suggested as a protective factor in clinical practice in DM.

Keywords

• diabetes mellitus
• COVID-19
• resilience psychological
• self care