Brief report: Nature and implications of personal projects among adolescents with and without diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the relation of adolescent goals to psychological well-being and diabetes health.


METHODS
We used personal project analysis to elicit the goals that adolescents with (n = 110) and without type 1 diabetes (n = 117) have. Adolescents evaluated several project dimensions (progress, stress, typicality, happiness, extent desired by others). Psychological well-being and diabetes health were assessed.


RESULTS
Adolescents with and without diabetes described similar projects, with academic projects being most frequently named. Adolescents with diabetes were more likely to identify appearance projects, and healthy adolescents were more likely to identify self-improvement projects. Among the project dimensions, project progress was associated with better psychological and diabetes health, and project stress was associated with poorer psychological and diabetes health.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that aspects of the general goals that adolescents set for themselves may have implications for their psychological well-being as well as how they care for their diabetes.
Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. vh2e@andrew.cmu.edu
Vicki S
VS
Helgeson
Akiko
A
Takeda
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006040:Goals; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin