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Stress and Coping Predicts Adjustment and Glycemic Control in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Background

Adolescents with type 1 diabetes are at increased risk for deteriorating glycemic control, poor quality of life, and depressive symptoms. Stress and coping are related to these outcomes in adolescents with diabetes, yet few studies have examined these constructs longitudinally.

Purpose

This study aimed to describe stress and coping in adolescents with type 1 diabetes and to examine coping strategies as predictors of adolescent adjustment (i.e., depressive symptoms, quality of life) and glycemic control.

Methods

Adolescents with type 1 diabetes completed measures of diabetes-related stress, coping, symptoms of depression, and quality of life at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Data on glycemic control were collected from the adolescents’ medical charts.

Results

The adolescents’ use of primary control coping (e.g., problem solving) and secondary control engagement coping (e.g., positive thinking) strategies predicted significantly fewer problems with quality of life and fewer depressive symptoms over time. In contrast, the use of disengagement coping strategies (e.g., avoidance) predicted more problems with quality of life and depressive symptoms. Coping was not a significant predictor of glycemic control. Coping mediated the effects of diabetes-related stress on depressive symptoms and quality of life.

Conclusions

The ways in which adolescents with type 1 diabetes cope with diabetes-related stress predict quality of life and symptoms of depression but not glycemic control. Through the use of screening to identify adolescent’s diabetes-related stress and targeted interventions to improve coping strategies, there is potential to improve outcomes.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grants from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases [K23 DK088454] and the National Center for Research Resources (UL1 RR024139].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vanderbilt University, DOT 11136, 2200 Children’s Way, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA

    Sarah S. Jaser PhD, Niral Patel MPH & Meng Xu MS

  2. Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

    William V. Tamborlane MD & Margaret Grey DrPH, RN

Authors
  1. Sarah S. Jaser PhD
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  2. Niral Patel MPH
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  3. Meng Xu MS
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  4. William V. Tamborlane MD
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  5. Margaret Grey DrPH, RN
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sarah S. Jaser PhD.

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Authors’ Statement of Conflict of Interest and Adherence to Ethical Standards

The authors Jaser, Patel, Xu, Tamborlane, and Gray declare that they have no conflict of interest. All procedures, including the informed consent process, were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. The contents of this manuscript are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the NIH.

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Jaser, S.S., Patel, N., Xu, M. et al. Stress and Coping Predicts Adjustment and Glycemic Control in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes. ann. behav. med. 51, 30–38 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-016-9825-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-016-9825-5

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