Purpose: The purpose was to determine if negative or stigmatizing language and messaging have an impact on diabetes distress, outcomes, or care behaviors in people with diabetes. Since 2012, when the first language position statement was published, the way health care professionals talk to people with diabetes has been an ongoing topic of discussion. However, there have been no recent literature reviews evaluating the impact of problem language on outcomes among people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Methods: An integrative review was conducted using 4 electronic databases: CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science, and Medline (Ovid). Studies reporting on diabetes, language, stigma, diabetes distress, glycemic outcomes, and self-care behaviors were included.
Results: The review included 9 studies, all of which were of high quality. The impact of negative or stigmatizing language on self-care behaviors was the most commonly addressed outcome. Whereas some studies revealed no change, others reported a decrease in self-care behaviors by people with diabetes who had negative perceptions of provider messages. Actual or perceived use of negative or stigmatizing language is linked to higher A1C. Four studies reported an association between messages and diabetes distress.
Conclusions: Negative/stigmatizing language has both an immediate and long-term effect on people with diabetes. The inconsistent approaches to studying language in diabetes makes it challenging to compare outcomes and identify themes. Future research is needed to identify effective interventions to change the messages in diabetes.