[Psychological aspects of remission induced by intensive insulin therapy in type I diabetes. A retrospective study of 44 patients]. / Aspects psychologiques de la rémission induite par une insulinothérapie intensive dans le diabète de type 1. Etude rétrospective de 44 patients.

ABSTRACT

The psychological consequences of induced remission of type 1 diabetes, have not yet been investigated thoroughly. We studied the psychological status of 44 patients (16 women, 28 men), age 21 years +/- 8 months (mean +/- SD), whose remission lasted 12 +/- 9 months. Patients' psychological reactions were analyzed retrospectively, using a 20 items standardized questionnaire, investigating 3 successive periods 1) initial intensive insulin therapy; 2) remission; 3) permanent insulin therapy. 8% of the subjects only considered the remission phase useless, whereas 49% expressed a positive appraisal. Hope was predominant feeling, 25% of the patients believing in a completed recovery of diabetes. Perceived therapeutic constraints were, in decreasing order regimen, way of life's regularity, self monitoring of blood glucose. When starting permanent insulin therapy, opposite answers were given 49% negative feelings, 33% positive feelings and 18% ambivalent feelings. During this period, insulin injections represented the major therapeutic constraint, followed by self monitoring of blood glucose. To summarize, induced remission does not appear to be psychologically harmful and is considered useful by a large majority of patients. Effective psychological support has to be offered to help those patients to cope with their irrational hopes of healing and to dampen their deception at the end of the remission period.