Source-specific social support and psychosocial stress among mothers and fathers during initial diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in young children.

Abstract

Background: Given parents elevated stress following children s diagnoses of type I diabetes (T1D), more information about protective factors is needed. The current study examined social support from various sources (e.g., partner, family, general) in relation to stress among mothers and fathers of young children shortly following T1D diagnosis. Methods: Participants included 157 children ages 1-6 recently diagnosed with T1D and their parents (152 mothers and 59 fathers) who were enrolled in a behavioral randomized controlled trial (RCT). Mothers and fathers self-reported on their demographic background, social support and stress; T1D data were parent report and/or gathered from medical records. Results: Maternal and paternal stress were examined in two separate regression models. Higher general social support predicted less stress for both mothers and fathers. For mothers, higher family support predicted less stress, while college educations status predicted more stress. For fathers, more partner support predicted less stress. Discussion: Findings contribute to the literature on gender differences in source-specific social support and psychosocial functioning in a pediatric health population. Sample characteristics limit generalizability of results, and future studies should aim to include diverse samples. Results have both scientific and clinical implications for supporting families following T1D diagnosis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).