Illness representations and coping as predictors of emotional well-being in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

OBJECTIVES

To test whether coping acts to mediate the relationships between illness representations and emotional well-being in adolescents with diabetes.

METHODS

Seventy adolescents between 11 and 18 years of age were asked to complete the Diabetes Illness Representations Questionnaire (DIRQ), the Well-being Questionnaire, and the Kidcope.

RESULTS

Perceived impact, identity, and cognitive restructuring were significant independent predictors for depressive symptomatology. For anxiety, perceived impact and identity were significant predictors, and for positive emotional well-being, treatment effectiveness to control diabetes was the only significant predictor. Multiple regression analyses indicated that coping did not mediate the association between illness representations and positive emotional well-being.

CONCLUSIONS

Perceived impact was consistently associated with participants' indices of negative emotional well-being. Contrary to the hypothesized model, coping did not mediate the association between illness representations and emotional well-being in this sample.