2025 Diabetes Summit focuses on mental health in diabetes care

For millions of South Africans living with diabetes, the greatest challenge is not only managing blood sugar, blood pressure or cholesterol – it’s coping with the emotional and psychological toll of the disease. Salih Hendricks has lived with diabetes for more than four decades and knows this reality all too well. He has endured severe complications, including amputation and stroke.

“Diabetes is not just medical – it’s emotional, social and psychological,” he says. “The body carries the illness, but the mind and soul carry the weight.”

His story echoes that of thousands of others who struggle with the mental load of diabetes. Feelings of fear, frustration and burnout are common yet often overlooked in clinical care. Studies show that depression and diabetes distress can directly affect glucose control, medication adherence and quality of life. Yet despite the evidence, mental health remains a neglected component of diabetes care, both globally and in South Africa.

Dr Patrick Ngassa Piotie, chairperson of the Diabetes Alliance and co-founder of the University of Pretoria Diabetes Research Centre, says the health system still views diabetes primarily through a clinical and biological lens.

“Our healthcare system tends to treat numbers, not people,” he says. “We focus on blood pressure and HbA1c, but ignore emotional well-being, which is equally vital to successful management.”

Dr Ngassa Piotie argues that integrating psycho-social support into diabetes care could transform outcomes. “When people feel emotionally supported, they’re more likely to engage with their treatment, stay on medication and seek help early. This ultimately saves lives and reduces healthcare costs.”

In communities facing poverty, stigma and limited access to care, the burden is even heavier. For Hendricks, peer support has been a lifeline. “Talking to others who understand your journey gives you hope and strength to keep going,” he says.

Peer-led groups, he adds, can bridge the gap between patients and professionals, creating spaces of empathy that formal health systems rarely offer.

That human-centred approach will be a central theme at the upcoming 2025 Diabetes Summit, where health professionals, policymakers and advocates will convene to promote the incorporation of mental health support into diabetes treatment plans. The summit aims to move from awareness to action, calling for counselling, peer-led programmes and mental health training for healthcare providers.

“Every person with diabetes deserves to be supported, not only as a patient but as a person navigating a lifelong condition,” Dr Ngassa Piotie says. “Mental health is diabetes health. Addressing one without the other ignores what it means to live – and thrive – with diabetes.”

Secure your spot at the 2025 Diabetes Summit. Register here.