14-Year Longitudinal Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms Among Youth With and Without Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract

Objective There is evidence that youth with type 1 diabetes are at risk for depression, and depression is a significant risk factor for subsequent psychological and physical health problems. However, it is not clear if/when this depression risk emerges. The goal of this study was to determine if there are differences in levels of depressive symptoms between youth with and without type 1 diabetes that develop over the course of emerging adulthood. We also examined whether adolescent psychosocial variables predicted depressive symptoms during emerging adulthood. Methods Youth with (n = 132) and without (n = 131) type 1 diabetes were enrolled in the study at average age 12 and followed for 14 years. Depressive symptoms were measured throughout the study. Psychosocial variables of interest were measured during adolescence. Results Group differences in depressive symptoms emerged by study end at average age 26. Depressive symptoms appeared to decline over time for youth without diabetes and to increase over time for youth with diabetes. Parent relationship difficulties increased over adolescence as did peer conflict for the entire cohort. Supportive relationships with parent and peers predicted fewer end of study depressive symptoms (controlling for baseline depressive symptoms)—equally so for both groups. Conclusions This study provides evidence that those with type 1 diabetes may be at risk for depressive symptoms many years after diagnosis and after adolescence. Although relational difficulties with parents and peers increase during adolescence, supportive relationships over the course of adolescence may help to mitigate depressive symptoms during young adulthood.

Tiempo de diagnóstico de enfermedad en pacientes con diabetes e hipertensión arterial con síntomas de depresión en una muestra de pobladores peruanos

“…El riesgo de generar depresión clínica es el doble en pacientes con DM2 en comparación con la población sana (22). Actualmente la depresión se considera también como una comorbilidad de la diabetes, pero la razón de esta asociación no está clara, aunque diversos estudios establecen una relación entra las enfermedades crónicas como riesgo de la depresión, no siendo la DM2 una excepción a esto (8,23,24). La gravedad de la sintomatología depresiva en pacientes con DM2 va relacionada al estilo de vida de los pacientes y también a la capacidad de aceptación o adaptación de la enfermedad de los pacientes, la cronicidad del diagnóstico también entra en juego en el desarrollo de la depresión en las personas diabéticas (25,26).…”

Peer interactions and health among youth with diabetes: An ecological momentary assessment.

“…All procedures were approved by the Institutional Review Boards of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. The study was preregistered, and all the data are available at https://osf.io/fh9r3/ (Helgeson & Vaughn, 2023).…”

Moderating Effect of Depression on Glycemic Control in an eHealth Intervention Among Black Youth With Type 1 Diabetes: Findings From a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Multiple studies have shown that depression is a significant predictor of health outcomes in youth with T1D, as it may affect health through either suboptimal self-management [ 24 ] or physiological mechanisms such as metabolic abnormalities and systemic inflammation [ 25 ]. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have shown that youth with T1D and depression are also more likely to report family conflict and low levels of parental involvement in diabetes care [ 26 , 27 ]. Such findings suggest that elevated depressive symptoms may identify youth who are more likely to be treatment responders in behavioral studies aimed at increasing family support for diabetes management [ 28 ].…”