diabetes_distress_scale: Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS-17)

In cliot: Clinical Indices and Outcomes Tools

Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS-17)

Description

Calculates the total mean score and four subscale scores for the Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS-17). This 17-item instrument assesses the emotional burden and distress associated with diabetes management. Scores are categorized as little/no distress (<2.0), moderate distress (2.0-2.9), or high distress (>=3.0).

Usage

diabetes_distress_scale(q1, q2, q3, q4, q5, q6, q7, q8, q9, q10, q11, q12,
                        q13, q14, q15, q16, q17)

Arguments

q1	Numeric (1-6). Feeling that diabetes is taking up too much of my mental and physical energy every day.
q2	Numeric (1-6). Feeling that my doctor doesn't know enough about diabetes and diabetes care.
q3	Numeric (1-6). Feeling angry, scared, and/or depressed when I think about living with diabetes.
q4	Numeric (1-6). Feeling that my doctor doesn't give me clear enough directions on how to manage my diabetes.
q5	Numeric (1-6). Feeling that I am not testing my blood sugars frequently enough.
q6	Numeric (1-6). Feeling that I am often failing with my diabetes routine.
q7	Numeric (1-6). Friends or family are not supportive enough of self-care efforts (e.g. planning activities that conflict with my schedule, encouraging me to eat the "wrong" foods).
q8	Numeric (1-6). Feeling that diabetes controls my life.
q9	Numeric (1-6). Feeling that my doctor doesn't take my concerns seriously enough.
q10	Numeric (1-6). Not feeling confident in my day-to-day ability to manage diabetes.
q11	Numeric (1-6). Feeling that I will end up with serious long-term complications, no matter what I do.
q12	Numeric (1-6). Feeling that I am not sticking closely enough to a good meal plan.
q13	Numeric (1-6). Friends or family don't appreciate how difficult living with diabetes can be.
q14	Numeric (1-6). Feeling overwhelmed by the demands of living with diabetes.
q15	Numeric (1-6). Feeling that I don't have a doctor who I can see regularly enough about my diabetes.
q16	Numeric (1-6). Not feeling motivated to keep up my diabetes self management.
q17	Numeric (1-6). Friends or family act like "diabetes police" (e.g. asking "did you eat that?" or "did you take your medicine?").

Details

Scoring Key: 1: Not a problem 2: A slight problem 3: A moderate problem 4: Somewhat serious problem 5: A serious problem 6: A very serious problem

Subscales: - Emotional Burden: Q1, Q3, Q8, Q11, Q14 - Physician-related Distress: Q2, Q4, Q9, Q15 - Regimen-related Distress: Q5, Q6, Q10, Q12, Q16 - Interpersonal Distress: Q7, Q13, Q17

Value

A list containing:

Total_Mean_Score	The average of all 17 items.
Total_Interpretation	Clinical interpretation of the total score.
Subscales	A list containing the mean scores and interpretations for each of the four domains.

References

Polonsky WH, Fisher L, Earles J, et al. Assessing psychosocial distress in diabetes: development of the diabetes distress scale. Diabetes Care. 2005;28(3):626-631. doi:10.2337/diacare.28.3.626

Examples

# Example 1: Moderate Distress
# All items scored 3 (Moderate problem)
# Result: Mean 3.0 (High Distress)
diabetes_distress_scale(3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3)

# Example 2: Mixed Profile
# Emotional items 5 (High), others 1 (Low)
diabetes_distress_scale(5, 1, 5, 1, 1, 1, 1, 5, 1, 1, 5, 1, 1, 5, 1, 1, 1)

cliot documentation built on Dec. 1, 2025, 1:06 a.m.