Launching the new Clinical Guideline on Diabetes Distress at EASD2025

Back from a whirlwind week in Vienna at EASD2025, where I was honoured to be part of the team presenting the European Association for the Study of Diabetes e.V. (EASD)'s first ever evidence based clinical practice guideline on the assessment and management of diabetes distress.

Usually after diabetes conferences I share my “top takeaways” but this time I had a single focus: launching and championing this guideline.

The guideline is the culmination of two years’ work serving on the Guideline Development Panel, where my colleague Walther Jensen and I contributed our lived experienced perspectives throughout every stage of the project, working alongside other experts on the panel.

I’m proud, grateful, moved and resolute. This guideline is now open for consultation, and if you work in diabetes in any capacity or live with diabetes yourself, I urge you to read it and share your comments. Planning for implementation is already under way and we will not let this be a document that gathers dust. It is too important for that.

For me, a pinch-me moment was standing on stage, sharing one of the hardest times of my life to show why this work matters. For too long, the emotional challenges of living with diabetes have been ignored in clinical care. I hope this guideline means that will change.

On stage presenting the draft guideline and why it matters to me

It's been a pleasure working with the GDP on this work - the co chairs, Jane Speight and Richard Holt, and the rest of the team jackie sturt, Norbert Hermanns, Andreia Mocan, Karin Kanc, Thomas Karagiannis, Femke Rutters, Francesco Zaccardi and Walther Jensen.

For more on the guideline you can watch the YouTube interview we did here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Dom9KZfuws

Really looking forward to the consultation comments and finalising the guideline in 2026.