Patient- versus parent-reported psychological symptoms as predictors of type 1 diabetes management in adolescents

The purpose of this study was to assess whether psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety were concurrently or longitudinally related to adherence, metabolic control, and subsequent hospitalization, and to determine whether patients' or parents' report of the adolescent's psychological symptoms better predicted disease management. Adolescent patients (N = 231) and their parents reported on the adolescents' psychological symptoms and adherence to the medical regimen. Information about metabolic control, and hospitalization for diabetes complications up to 5 years later, were obtained from medical records. Psychological symptoms were correlated with reports of the adolescent's adherence regardless of the informant. Patient- (but not parent-) reported symptoms correlated with concurrent metabolic control and predicted hospitalization up to 2 years later. These findings indicate that psychological symptoms are associated with the management of diabetes. Adolescents' self-report of symptoms predict diabetes management more consistently than do parents' reports.