The Interrelationships Among Paternal and Maternal Parenting Stress, Metabolic Control, and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 09/19/2012

Maas–van Schaaijk NM et al. – The combination of blood glucose control and depressive symptoms in adolescents with T1DM was found to be associated with both paternal and maternal parenting stress.

Methods

• 151 adolescents with T1DM (mean age 14.9 ± 1.7 years) and a comparison group (n = 122) reported their depressive symptoms and behavior problems.
• Mothers (T1DM n = 126; comparison group n = 106) and fathers (T1DM n = 103; comparison group n = 55) each reported parenting stress.
• Metabolic control was assessed by the glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values obtained from the medical records.

Results

• Fathers of adolescents with T1DM reported significantly more parenting stress than fathers of the comparison group.
• Parenting stress was associated with depressive symptoms only in adolescents with T1DM.
• Parenting stress in fathers explained 25% of the variance in depressive symptoms in adolescents with T1DM and 18% of the variance in HbA1c.
• In mothers, this was 22% and 19%, respectively.