Self-esteem and illness self-concept in emerging adults with Type 1 diabetes: Long-term associations with problem areas in diabetes.
This long-term prospective study examined whether illness self-concept (or the degree to which chronic illness becomes integrated in the self) mediated the pathway from self-esteem to problem areas in diabetes in emerging adults with Type 1 diabetes. Having a central illness self-concept (i.e. feeling overwhelmed by diabetes) was found to relate to lower self-esteem, and more treatment, food, emotional, and social support problems. Furthermore, path analyses indicated that self-esteem was negatively related to both levels and relative changes in these problem areas in diabetes over a period of 5 years. Illness self-concept fully mediated these associations.
KU Leuven, Belgium Koen.Luyckx@ppw.kuleuven.be.
Koen
K
Luyckx
KU Leuven, Belgium.
Jessica
J
Rassart
Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium.
Isabelle
I
Aujoulat
Ghent University, Belgium.
Liesbet
L
Goubert
Free University Brussels, Belgium.
Ilse
I
Weets
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
Type 1 diabetes; emerging adulthood; illness self-concept; longitudinal; self-esteem