The psychosocial integration of diabetic patients type 1 (insulin‐dependent)

Abstract

A comparative study was carried out on 250 diabetic patients type 1 (118 males, 132 females, aged between 16–60, mean age 37 ± 15 years and a diabetes duration of 13 ± 5 years) and 100 controls (43 males, 57 females, between 20–60 years old with a mean age 32 ± 17 years). Factors of maladjustment have been assessed within the family, professional, social and psychologic dimensions, by a standardized questionnaire (36 items) which was adapted by us from existing scales such as: PULSES scale; and scales of Affleck, Y. W.9, Craig, A. R.10 and Peterson, C.11 questionnaire. The frequencies distribution showed the most significant difference (p < 0.001) between the 2 examined groups for social stress (20 ± 12% versus 6 ± 2%), followed by family stress (36 ± 10% versus 14 ± 5%). Professional stress was of a lower significance (31, 2 ± 4 versus 12 ± 9%). Stress in diabetics is determined rather by the education level and sex differences, than by age and diabetes duration. The high rate of psychosocial maladjustment of diabetics derived from management problems that require too many changes in the family, vocational, social, attitudinal and life style functioning patterns. The ergotic unadaptative rate (31, 2%) has been conditioned by the frequency of premature retiring (23%) and on the other hand by the high level of family disharmonies (17, 6%) and social isolation (8, 8%). This reveals major relational frustration and the high rate of psychosocial maladjustment of diabetic patients. In view of psychosocial and vocational rehabilitation of diabetics, a holistic bio‐psycho‐social approach, in an integrated interdisciplinary team, is required.