Psychosocial Research on Intervention Science and Mechanisms of Disease in Diabetes (PRISM-D): A National Resource Core

In collaboration with New York Regional Center for Diabetes Translational Research (NY-CDTR) National Resource Core faculty and members, and with approval from NIDDK program officials, we introduced our evolved National Resource Core, titled: “Psychosocial Research on Intervention Science and Mechanisms of Disease in Diabetes” (PRISM-D), in Year 9 of funding. The overarching aim of the PRISM-D Core is to catalyze high-impact translational research addressing the complex interplay of psychological, social, and contextual factors in diabetes. This evolution of our National Resource Core aligns with rigorous evidence demonstrating that: (1) Both negative (e.g., depression, diabetes distress) and positive (e.g. positive affect, social support) psychosocial factors relate to diabetes risks and outcomes through interrelated behavioral (e.g., medication adherence, dietary patterns) and biological (e.g., inflammation, insulin resistance) mechanisms; (2) Psychosocial challenges are prevalent among people with diabetes, negatively impact quality of life, and contribute to increased complications and health-care costs; (3) Interventions that address psychological and social needs can promote well-being, support effective self-management, and improve clinical outcomes; and (4) Integrating psychosocial support throughout the diabetes care continuum is essential to optimize disease management and improve long-term outcomes. These shifts in knowledge and clinical practice have fostered increased requests from National Resource Core members and users seeking resources in the psychosocial sphere, to address optimal health for all people and populations affected by, or at risk for, diabetes. To fill this gap, the PRISM-D National Resource Core leverages our national, multidisciplinary team’s extensive experience and expertise across three domains: (1) Theory, conceptualization, and rigorous measurement of psychosocial factors, including the development and application of innovative methods to assess psychosocial experiences and glycemic regulation passively and in real-time; (2) Design, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of evidence-based diabetes prevention and intervention strategies that target psychosocial dimensions of metabolic health; and (3) Community-engaged research and partnerships that foster sustainable interventions that reach the U.S. populations at risk for diabetes and its complications.

The PRISM-D consultation services structured to help investigators:

• increasing engagement and collaboration among our highly active national membership
• series of talks and presentations by PRISM-D faculty and members that will be accessible either in person or through web-based conference
• access to existing publicly available datasets, and/or datasets from active studies on which our faculty or members serve as investigators

Users of Core Services are asked to acknowledge the support of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) grant that supports our Center in their publications and presentations: P30 DK111022.