Summary

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) can be challenging for patients to self-manage and can lead to stress that affects their health-related quality of life. The perception of illness is a close determinant of health behavior and outcomes; therefore, researchers in the Netherlands used illness perceptions as the starting point in devising a new support program for patients and their partners in the first years of living with T2DM. This article discusses the Diacourse study group outlining results of a randomized controlled trial (NTR3302) of this support program administered to recently diagnosed patients with T2DM.