Affective Response of Parents of Newly Diagnosed Type-1 Diabetes Patients: An Experience from a Developing Country

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the affective response of parents of type 1diabetes children in a developing country like Pakistan.
Methodology:  One-year cross-sectional study, utilizing questionnaires, analyzed the economic and psychosocial aspects of newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes (T1D) parents, presenting in a tertiary care unit.
Results: Seventy-nine parents were part of the study. The monthly family income of 82% parents was less than 50,000/- rupees. 78% parents felt shocked and depressed, 14% experienced guilt and 8% were in denial after diagnosis. 93% did not accept injectable insulin as first line of treatment and wanted to try other treatments like homeopathic medicine because of financial constraints, pen prick fear for monitoring blood glucose and insulin injections for treatment. 83% parents concern was affordability of glucose strips and insulin pens and asked for complete financial support for management of their type 1 daibetes child.
Parents showed grave apprehensions about life expectancy and long-term medical complications. 81% were apprehensive about schooling, 8% about their marriage and 3% about future career and jobs. 69% parents asked about inheritance of the disease and chances in siblings.
Conclusion: Parents are prone to psychosocial affects with depression being the most prevalent followed by guilt and denial. The most stressing aspects were injections and regular monitoring pricks fear. Affordability of monitoring strips and insulin pens was also a stressor along with schooling and physical activities.
Key words: Affective response, Chronic illness, Insulin pens, Stress, T1D.