Psychosocial Adjustment of School Age Children with Type I Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Children with type 1 diabetes mellitus need to form psychosocial
adjustment in order to deal with the complex and demanding daily treatment regime and to
prevent overwhelming psychological problems, for the diabetic children the diagnosis of
T1DM is usually accompanied by a mild psychological crisis, these crises are usually
predictors of a subsequent anxiety and/or depression event, and a lower self-esteem. Aim: To
assess the psychosocial adjustment of school age children with type I of diabetes mellitus.
Methods: A descriptive study design was used at pediatric hospital affiliated to Ain Shams
University (Out-patient Diabetic Clinic). Sample: A convenient sample of 150 children
suffering from type 1 diabetes mellitus from both sex, at age group 6 > 12 years. Tools: First
tool: Interviewing questionnaire, Second tool: A semi-structured questionnaire for
psychological and social problems of school age children with type1diabetes mellitus and
Third tool: Psychosocial Adjustment Pattern scale for School Age Children with
type1Diabetes mellitus scale. Results: Findings of the present study showed that more than
half of the studied children had satisfactory total level of knowledge compared to less than
half of them had unsatisfactory level of knowledge regarding their disease. Moreover, more
than half of them suffer from psychological problems compared with more than two fifth of
them without psychological problems. Nearly three fifth of them had a moderate level of
total adaptation compared to nearly one quarter of them had a high level of total adaptation.
Conclusion: the study concluded that most of the studied school age children suffered from
psychological problems related to type 1of diabetes mellitus ,the study also revealed that all
the studied children had social issues due to type 1 of diabetes mellitus, there was positive
correlation between children's psychosocial problems and their total negative & positive
adjustment pattern. Recommendations Counseling intervention for school age children at
outpatient clinic to illuminate their psychosocial problems regarding diabetes and promote to
their psychosocial adjustment regarding their illness.