Background: Diabetes is a burgeoning health concern that is increasingly prevalent in both developing and industrialized nations, exerting a significant economic and societal influence. The primary aim of our research was to assess the influence of insulin pump use on the overall quality of life, health-related depression and anxiety and diabetes appraisal experienced by individuals diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D), in comparison to those who rely on an insulin pen for their treatment.

Methods: This study was a case control study in which authors compared quality of life and psychological state among patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus who are using insulin pump versus patients on multiple daily injections. This study was conducted at King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital in Jeddah during the period from May 1 to June 30, 2023. Study tool consisted of (1) sociodemographic and disease related data, (2) quality of life short form, (3) psychological assessment tool (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and appraisal of diabetes scale.

Results:  The study included 50 participants; 23 were patients with T1DM on insulin pump (case group) while 27 were patients with T1DM not on insulin pump but using insulin injections (control group). The number of hypoglycemic episodes are significantly lower among patients on insulin pump than patients using insulin injections (P= 0.032). Mean score of all domains was found to be higher in patients using insulin pump as compared to patients not using insulin pumps, but without any statistical significance. In the anxiety subscale, the data reveal that there is a trend towards significance (p=0.087) in the frequency of anxiety between cases and controls. In the depression subscale, there is a trend towards significance (p=0.157) in the frequency of depression between cases and controls. Participants were asked about the perceived control of their disease. A significant difference (p=0.042) emerges between cases and controls.

Conclusion: The study found that patients with T1DM using insulin pumps experienced significantly fewer hypoglycemic episodes and perceived better control of their disease compared to those using insulin injections. While there were trends towards significance in anxiety and depression frequencies, the differences in overall domain scores between the two groups were not statistically significant.