Psychological Status of Children with Type I Diabetes Mellitus: Maternal Psychologic State in Diabetic Children with Depressive Mood

Son, Eun Hee; Lee, Tae Ho; Kim, Jung Mi; Ko, Cheol Woo; Lee, Jin Young; Chung, Sung Hoon

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to see an incidence of depression, and to see the characteristics of demographic variables, maternal psychologic state and family environments in adolescent children with type I DM who was in depressive mood.
METHODS
Among children with type I DM who participated in a diabetes summer camp which was held in Daegu between August 6th and 10th, 2004, authors sent questainnaires which included CDI/ BDI for children, MMPI and SCL-90 for patients' mothers, and FES which mothers were asked to respond to the 40 patients' house after gaining parents and patients' permission by telephoning. Twenty-three out of 40 patients completed these questainnaires. Study patients consisted of 10 boys and 13 girls. Their mean age was 13.3 years.
RESULTS
There were significant differences in maternal MMPI and SCL-90 between depressive and non-depressive group. Among the maternal MMPI, the t-scores of hypochondriasis and hysteria in depressive group were higher than those of non- depressive group. And among the dimension of SCL-90, t-score of depression, anxiety, phobic anxiety and psychoticism in depressive group were higher than those of non-depressive group (P<0.05). These findings were concordant with prior findings that the mothers of diabeteic childen were more depressed and anxious than the mothers of control children.
CONCLUSION
Though there are several limitation to this study, this study found high incidence rate in children with type I diabetes, and replicate prior findings supporting the effect of type I diabetes on the maternal psychologic state and family functioning. Larger size group is necessary to confirm our findings.