The objective of this research is to identify attitudes, concerns, and response patterns that children and their parents exhibit in relation to the child's having juvenile onset diabetes for a period of years. The main focus of the research is identifying stabilized behavioral or adaptive patterns that have evolved as reactions to the disease and to ascertain the factors that have led to a particular style of adaptation. Particular attention is given to whether a child develops a passive-helpless orientation or attempts to master and/or excel in some area of endeavor as a life style in coping with a chronic illness. Children between 11 and 18 years of age who have had juvenile onset diabetes for three years or longer are studied. A matched control group of healthy children is also seen. Data consist of interviews, questionnaires, and standardized tests administered to the children and their mothers and life event data obtained from school and medical records. This research is relevant to issues of how children in general cope with stress.
NIH ExPorter
NIH ExPorter