Children born with type 1 diabetes are much more likely to develop certain mental health issues than people without a condition, a new study warns. Photo by Adobe Stock/Healthday News
Children born with type 1 diabetes are much more likely to develop certain mental health issues than people without a condition, a new study warns.
Children with type 1 diabetes are more than twice as likely to develop mood disorders and are 50% more likely to suffer from anxiety than other children, researchers reported Wednesday in Natural Mental Health.
They are also more than four times more likely to develop behavioral problems, such as eating or sleep disorders, the researchers said.
However, the findings suggest that this is not due to specific health issues caused by type 1 diabetes.
Rather, children appear to be vulnerable to “diabetic distress” caused by the ongoing management of chronic conditions, the researchers said.
“This underscores the importance and sustained attention of prevention to the mental health needs of children and young people with type 1 diabetes,” said Thomas Formenek, a doctoral student at Cambridge University and the National Institute of Mental Health in the UK and a doctoral student in the Czech Republic.
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune system turns on the pancreas, the organ that produces insulin. Pancreatic damage destroys the ability to make insulin and significantly reduces production, which requires people to take insulin to live.
In the new study, researchers analyzed data from over 4,500 children with type 1 diabetes in the Czech Republic.
The mental health effects seen among these children may be attributed to the need to make a major difference in their lives, the researchers said. They should constantly monitor food intake, check blood sugar levels, and inject insulin.
This often leaves children out of social events and feel singled out by other children, teachers, and even family members, researchers said.
“People diagnosed with type 1 diabetes know that they can experience the 'diabetic pain',” said senior researcher Benjamin Perry, a clinical lecturer in psychiatry at Cambridge University, in a university news release. “This includes extreme frustration over blood sugar levels and isolation, which can lead to burnout, despair and lack of control. It's no wonder they risk exacerbating mental health issues that extend to adult life.”
More information
The American Diabetes Association has a list of type 1 diabetes.
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