The interrelationships among paternal and maternal parenting stress, metabolic control, and depressive symptoms in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between paternal and maternal parenting stress, metabolic control, and depressive symptoms in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

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.

CONCLUSION

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.