Brain-Behavioral Systems and Psychological Distress in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus A Comparative Study

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a common metabolic disorder worldwide. It imposes excessive psychological stress on patients which negatively affect the course of the disease. The brain-behavioral systems have a role in dealing with stressful events such as chronic disorders. Objective: Comparison the brain-behavioral systems and psychological distress in diabetic patients and non-diabetics. Materials and Methods: This causal-comparative study was conducted on patients with diabetes type II and controls that were selected by simple sampling method from January to March 2015 in Tehran, Iran. A demographic questionnaire and also Behavioral Inhibition/Activation systems scale (BIS/BAS) and Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS) were used to assess subjects. The data were analysed in SPSS 18 software using descriptive statistics and multi-variate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Results: A total of forty-three subjects (22 female and 21 male) were included in each group of diabetic and control subjects with mean age of 41.77±5.34 and 40.21±6.47 years respectively (p>0.01). The groups had a significant difference in terms of brain-behavioral systems activity [F(5, 80)= 22.33, p < 0.001] with significant differences in BAS and its subscales of drive and pleasure seeking, while no significant difference was observed between the two groups in BIS activity or BAS subscale of reply to reward. Also results demonstrated significant differences as the matter of psychological distress [F(3, 82)=26.26, p<0.001] with difference in all of its dimensions. Conclusion: People with diabetes are prone to psychological distress, also strong behavioral activation system can be considered as factors in the persistence and exacerbation diabetes.