Youth with type 1 diabetes cope with a variety of stressors related to daily life and disease management. Previous studies have focused on diabetes-related stressors, but little research has examined daily stressors. In this qualitative descriptive study by Hema and coworkers, daily stressors and coping responses of 19 children and 33 adolescents with type 1 diabetes (65% are female) were investigated. Participants recorded their own stressors and coping responses in daily diaries for 2-3 weeks. Five broad themes of daily stressors emerged: people, self, context, no stressor, and ambiguous. Coping responses included three general themes: submission, personal responsibility, and ambiguous. Younger children reported more stressors related to friends/peers and siblings (people), and adolescents described more stressors related to self, parents (people), and school (context). Younger children used more coping that involved choosing an alternate activity, helping others, and an emotional responses (taking personal responsibility), whereas adolescents used more coping that involved persistence, alternate thinking, and talking things over (taking personal responsibility).

WHAT THE STUDY MAY MEAN TO YOU AS A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER: The authors concluded that youth with diabetes did not report stressors related to diabetes and its management as major themes in their daily lives. However, perceptions of how youth understand and cope with stress were described.

WHAT THE STUDY MAY MEAN TO YOU AS A PATIENT OR PARENTS OF A PATIENT: Type 1 diabetes can be difficult to deal with on a daily basis. However, self-management training, particularly that which emphasizes coping with stress, can be useful. A number of effective self-management programs for childhood diabetes have been developed and tested. You might ask your health care provider or the American Diabetes Association on the steps you can take to enroll in such a program.

Hema DA et al. Daily stressors and coping responses of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Child: Care, Health & Development, 2009;35:330-339.