Longitudinal associations of maternal depressive symptoms, maternal involvement, and diabetes management across adolescence.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether maternal depressive symptoms: (a) predicted the level of maternal involvement in diabetes management tasks across adolescence; and (b) moderated associations of involvement with adolescent adherence, metabolic control, and depression. METHODS: Eighty-two youth aged 10-15 years with type 1 diabetes and their mothers completed measures at baseline and 16 months later. Participants rated maternal involvement in diabetes tasks, adherence, and depressive symptoms; metabolic control was indexed from medical records. RESULTS: Maternal depressive symptoms were associated with higher involvement at baseline, and slower declines in involvement across time. At baseline, involvement was associated with lower adolescent depression and better metabolic control, but this association was stronger when mothers reported fewer depressive symptoms. Interactions of maternal depression with involvement across time suggested maternal involvement was associated with better subsequent adherence primarily when mothers reported fewer depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Mothers' depressive symptoms may undermine her care-giving effectiveness during adolescence.

Parental negative affect and adolescent efficacy for diabetes management.

The authors investigated whether parental perceptions of adolescent efficacy are colored by parental negative affect and are associated with adolescents' self-perceptions of efficacy for diabetes management. Adolescents (n = 183, M age = 12.53) with Type 1 diabetes and their mothers and fathers separately reported perceptions of adolescents' efficacy for diabetes management and parents reported their own negative affect (depressed mood and trait anxiety). glycosolated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were obtained from medical records. The results indicated that parental negative affect was associated with parental perceptions of poorer adolescent efficacy beyond the association of HbA1c scores. The relationship between fathers' negative affect and adolescents' self-efficacy was mediated by fathers' perceptions of adolescent efficacy. The results suggest that parental negative affect may negatively color their views of adolescents' efficacy and, in the case of fathers' beliefs, may relate to adolescent self-efficacy. Parental negative affect should be considered when evaluating perceptions of adolescents' efficacy.

Maternal parenting style and adjustment in adolescents with type I diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the cross-sectional relationship between maternal parenting style and indicators of well-being among adolescents with diabetes. METHODS: Seventy-eight adolescents (ages 11.58-17.42 years, M = 14.21) with type 1 diabetes and their mothers separately reported perceptions of maternal parenting style. Adolescents reported their own depressed mood, self-efficacy for managing diabetes, and diabetes regimen adherence. RESULTS: Adolescents' perceptions of maternal psychological control were associated with greater depressed mood regardless of age and gender. Firm control was strongly associated with greater depressed mood and poorer self-efficacy among older adolescents, less strongly among younger adolescents. Adolescents' perceptions of maternal acceptance were associated with less depressed mood, particularly for girls and with better self-efficacy for diabetes management, particularly for older adolescents and girls. Maternal reports of acceptance were associated only with adherence. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal parenting style is associated with well-being in adolescents with diabetes, but this association is complex and moderated by age and gender.