An Evaluation of Difficulty in Emotion Regulation, Impulsivity, and Emotional Eating in Children and Adolescents Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate difficulties in emotion regulation, emotional eating, and impulsivity in children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Materials and Methods: The study included 53 children who were diagnosed with T1DM, and a control group of 50 subjects. The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-age Children—Present and Lifetime Version, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale— Short Form (DERS-16), Emotional Eating Scale-Child and Adolescent Form (EES-C), and the Barratt Impulsivity Scale 11—Short Form (BIS-11) were administered to the participants. Results: In the T1DM group, the disease duration was a mean of 52.7 ± 40.62 months, and only 17% had good metabolic control. The rate of psychiatric disorder determined was significantly higher in the T1DM group (P = .001). No significant difference was determined between the 2 groups in respect of the DERS-16, EES-C, and BIS-11 total and subscale scores. However, in multivariate linear regression, the increase in BIS-11 total score was affected by increasing DERS impulse (β = 0.475), decreasing age (β = −0.209), and presence of T1DM (β = 0.211). An increase in the DERS-16 total score was associated with the presence of psychiatric disorder (β = −0.258) and an increase in BIS-11-A (the second scale assesses concentration problems) (β = 0.317) score. In the T1DM group, the glycated hemoglobin level was lower in the group with insulin treatment with the injection method (8.2 ± 2.1%) than in those with the pump method (9.1 ± 1.5%) (P = .069). Conclusion: It is important that mental health professionals take an active role in all processes of the disease in order to protect the mental health of children with T1DM.