P-406: Psychological reactions of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes in Ghana: a cross-sectional study in a teaching hospital
E Ameyaw, S B Asafo-AgyeiAbstract
Introduction
Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a chronic and debilitating disease with significant psychological and emotional effects on the affected individuals and their families.
Objectives
This study aimed to assess the immediate psychological reactions on children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus at diagnosis.
Methods
This was a cross-sectional study conducted at a Paediatric Diabetes Clinic, Kumasi, Ghana, between January, 2025 and February, 2026. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data on participants’ socio-demographic characteristics and psychological reactions at diagnosis. STATA SE 17.0 was used for data analysis, and variables were represented as means, standard deviations, ranges, and percentages with simple diagrams and tabulations.
Results
A total of 204 participants were enrolled within a 14-month period. The mean age at diagnosis was 12.12 years (SD 4.34), with the youngest participant at diagnosis being 4 years, and the oldest 19 years. Most participants were female (60.8%) with most of them (65.7 %) residing in urban areas. The majority (81.9 %) of participants were Christians. The most common initial reactions were crying (68.6%), sadness/grief (42.2%), doubt (78.4%), shock (62.8%) and guilt (65.7%). Up to 66.2 of the participants were afraid of their diagnosis and 57.8 got angry with the diagnosis.
Conclusions
Children and adolescents, newly diagnosed with type 1 diagnosis experience significant psychological distress. Integrating counseling, faith-based support and psychological care into routine diabetes management may be essential.