Illness Uncertainty, Perceived Control, and Psychological Distress Among Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between illness uncertainty, perceived control, and psychological distress among adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Sixty-eight adolescents age 13 to 18 years with type 1 diabetes completed the Children's Uncertainty in Illness Scale, the Perceived Control Scale Media Relations, and the Brief Symptom Inventory. Increased uncertainty was significantly associated with both decreased perceived control and increased psychological distress. Further analyses indicated that the relationship between illness uncertainty and psychological distress was direct and was not mediated or moderated by perceived control. These findings suggest that interventions aimed at managing uncertainty may help decrease psychological distress among adolescents with diabetes.

Parent- and Youth-Reported Illness Uncertainty: Associations With Distress and Psychosocial Functioning Among Recipients of Liver and Kidney Transplantations

“…Consistent with the existing literature (i.e., Hoff et al, 2002;Mullins et al, 2000), we hypothesized that youth-reported uncertainty would be positively associated with distress variables (e.g., youth-reported depressive symptoms and anxiety). Further, consistent with Steele et al (1997), we hypothesized that parent-reported uncertainty would be associated with youth distress after controlling for youth-reported uncertainty, and that youth-reported uncertainty would be associated with parent-reported youth psychosocial functioning after controlling for parent-reported uncertainty.…”

“…Previous investigations (e.g., Hoff et al, 2002;Maikranz et al, 2007) have indicated good internal consistency (˛D 0.86-0.89). The psychometric properties of the MUIS-C have been evaluated in samples of youth ranging from 8 to 18 years of age (see Hoff et al, 2002). Estimated internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) for this investigation was 0.86, and the Flesch-Kincaid grade (reading) level was estimated at 5.6.…”

“…A number of recent studies suggest that illness uncertainty in children and families can be associated with increased child distress among a number of illness groups including diabetes (Hoff, Mullins, Chaney, Hartman, & Domek, 2002), asthma (Hommel et al, 2003;Mullins, Chaney, Balderson, & Hommel, 2000), and cancer (Neville, 1998). Similarly, for children with diabetes, an increase in parent's illness uncertainty predicted parent's psychological distress (Carpentier, Mullins, Chaney, & Wagner, 2006).…”

The illness uncertainty concept: A review

“…In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), uncertainty has been associated with perception of increased severity of illness, lower quality of life, and fewer selfhelp behaviors [26]. Chaney et al [27] examined the infl uence of perceived illness control and attributional style on depression in RA patients (perceived illness control is conceptualized as one aspect of illness uncertainty [28]). They found that lower perceptions of daily illness control increased the impact of a negative attributional style on depression, in which the presence of low daily illness control and negative appraisals of events predicted higher levels of depression in this population.…”

Narrative inquiry in diabetes research: Illuminating the psychosocial aspects of diabetes

“…People with diabetes may lack the information, education, or problem-solving skills necessary to balance these self-care behaviors and integrate them with daily life [3,4]. The daily struggles and unpredictable outcomes of self-care, moreover, may impact psychosocial adjustment in these individuals [5,6,7]. Understanding how people with diabetes comprehend and make sense of their experiences may inform interventions and suggest changes in the types and nature of psychological, social, and self-management support provided to them.…”