A qualitative study on the experiences of mothers of adolescents with Type 1 diabetes mellitus

Type 1 diabetes is an important chronic endocrine illness of adolescence. It presents a range of unique and difficult to manage problems by virtue of the developmental challenges that face adolescents. Medical services are often ill equipped to deal with this patient group while the complicated management regimes necessary for glycaemic control has far ranging and potentially adverse psychosocial effects on the adolescent and their family. These challenges are experienced directly by the family, arguably the most important proximate influence in the adolescents’ life. Psychosocial factors are pivotal in not only managing metabolic control but also in determining healthy family function and quality of life. This compels health workers who treat diabetic adolescents to comprehensively understand the families they work with. While there has been much research into the psychosocial aspects of adolescents with Type 1 diabetes, there is far less on the way that families and specifically parents experience this chronic illness in family life. Mothers are usually the most important caregivers within this context, taking the lead in co-ordinating and managing the health care needs of their families. The aim of this study is to gain further understanding of how families, specifically mothers make sense and incorporate their experiences into their broader comprehension of how Type I diabetes has affected themselves and their families.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Public Health and Family Medicine

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Smith, Anthony

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Schweitzer, Beverley
• Colvin, Christopher J

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11628

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/11628