Connections matter: Exploring the relationship between belonging and psychosocial well-being in type 1 diabetes in Iran.

Aim: Identify the relationship between a sense of belonging and psychosocial well-being in individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in Iran.

Background: Understanding this relationship is vital for tailored nursing interventions to enhance individual's sense of belonging and improve diabetes outcomes.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 205 participants selected via multi-stage cluster and simple random sampling from health centers in Iranian. Electronic surveys designed on Google Forms, using valid and reliable scales and compliant with HIPAA, assessed sense of belonging, distress, and burnout. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 25).

Results: Participants reported high sense of belonging with varying levels of diabetes distress and burnout. Multiple regression analysis of 205 participants showed that sense of belonging index (SOBI) scores significantly predicted diabetes distress (F(2,203) = 39.71, p < 0.001) and burnout (F(2, 203) = 42.319, p < 0.001). Sense of Belonging Instrument-Psychological (SOBI-P) scores were negatively correlated with both distress (r = -0.52, p < 0.001) and burnout (r = -0.53, p < 0.001), indicating higher belonging is linked to lower distress and burnout. Sense of Belonging Instrument-Antecedents (SOBI-A) scores had positive but non-significant correlations (distress: r = 0.07, p = 0.27; burnout: r = 0.10, p = 0.13). SOBI-P accounted for ∼30 % of the variance in distress (R = 0.275) and burnout (R = 0.288), with significant contributions to both models (t = -8.8, p < 0.001; t = -9.02, p < 0.001). Anticipated belonging showed no significant correlations with distress or burnout.

Conclusion: The negative correlations between personal belonging, self-reported distress, and burnout suggest that enhancing the psychological sense of belonging may be an effective strategy to mitigate diabetes-related distress and burnout Stigmatization and financial strain in Iran may exacerbate emotional burden, regimen related distress, and burnout. The lack of association between anticipated belonging and psychosocial well-being underscores differences in present and future perceptions of support, emphasizing the need for culturally sensitive nursing interventions.