Medication Adherence and Psychosocial Factors in Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Mustafa Erhan Demirkıran, Fatma Subaşı Turgut, Masum Öztürk, Barış Kolbaşı, Ruken Yıldırım, Edip UnalABSTRACT
Background
Medication adherence is essential for the effective management of Type 1 diabetes in adolescents. This study investigated the associations between medication adherence and diabetes management self‐efficacy, anxiety, depression, psychological resilience, perceived helicopter parenting, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels.
Methods
In the study, Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, Diabetes Management Self‐Efficacy Scale in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Child and Youth Resilience Measure and Helicopter Parent Attitude/s Scale were administered to 142 adolescent participants aged 12–18 years with Type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Results
Medication adherence was positively correlated with psychological resilience ( r = 0.488; p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with diabetes management self‐efficacy total score and anxiety level ( r = −0.501; p < 0.001 and r = −0.242; p = 0.004, respectively). In group analysis, it was found that self‐efficacy and psychological resilience levels were higher and anxiety and depression levels were significantly lower in the group with high medication adherence. In regression analysis, psychological resilience ( B = 0.046; p = 0.007), diabetes management self‐efficacy ( B = −0.035; p = 0.002) and anxiety ( B = −0.085; p = 0.015) were independently associated with medication adherence. Significant negative relationships were found between medication adherence and perceived helicopter parenting sub‐dimensions, between medication adherence scores and mother basic trust ( r = −0.167; p = 0.048), mother ethics ( r = −0.181; p = 0.032), father basic trust ( r = −0.194; p = 0.022) and father ethics ( r = −0.186; p = 0.028) sub‐dimensions.
Conclusions
These findings indicate that diabetes management self‐efficacy, psychological resilience, anxiety, depression, and helicopter parenting attitude are associated with adherence to medication. Given the cross‐sectional design, longitudinal, multicentre, and multi‐informant studies are needed to clarify the temporal direction of these relationships.