ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the psychosocial aspects of diabetes deserve to remain high on the list of the research and clinical agenda and to raise awareness of some important gaps in the literature. Diabetes mellitus is one of the most psychologically and behaviourally demanding of the chronic medical diseases. Rates of non-adherence to the diabetes regimen are widely acknowledged to be high. This is not surprising given that it has all of the hallmarks of a treatment regimen which make non-adherence predictable. The Health Belief Model, makes the assumption that perceived vulnerability to the disease, perceived seriousness of the disease, and degree of interest in health matters, when considered together, will determine an individual's level of adherence. Patients with diabetes have expressed a need for a more individual approach to treatment that takes account of their changing needs throughout the course of the disease.
