Clinically elevated parent depressive symptoms and stress at child type 1 diabetes diagnosis: Associations with parent diabetes self-efficacy at 18-months post-diagnosis

Objective Eighteen percent of new diagnoses of type 1 diabetes (T1D) occur in children ages 9 and younger, and the burden of diabetes management in young children predominantly falls on parents. Despite the significant amount of information parents must learn and implement quickly after diagnosis, little research has examined diabetes self-efficacy in parents of young children soon after diagnosis in a longitudinal manner. The current study examined changes in parent diabetes self-efficacy over time, and parent depressive symptoms and stress soon after child T1D diagnosis as predictors of parent diabetes self-efficacy at 12- and 18-months post-diagnosis. Research design and methods One hundred fifty-seven primary caregivers (91.7% female, 62.2% White, Non-Hispanic) of young children (M-age = 4.47 +/- 1.65 years, 54.8% female, 60% White, Non-Hispanic) were recruited within 2 months of their child's T1D diagnosis from two pediatric hospitals in the United States as part of a randomized clinical trial. Parents self-reported on their diabetes self-efficacy, depressive symptoms, and stress and at baseline (M-days since diagnosis = 29) and on parent diabetes self-efficacy again 12- and 18-months post-diagnosis. Results Parent diabetes self-efficacy significantly improved from baseline to 12-months and 18-months post-diagnosis (p < 0.05). Parents exhibiting clinically elevated levels of depressive symptoms and stress at baseline had significantly lower parent diabetes self-efficacy 12- and 18-months post-diagnosis compared to parents with normal levels of depressive symptoms and stress. Conclusions Brief interventions for parents with clinically elevated depressive symptoms and stress soon after their child's diagnosis may improve parents' diabetes self-efficacy and ultimately support the management of their child's diabetes.