[Narcissistic regulation and metabolic control in type-II diabetics]

The influence of narcissistic regulation on metabolic control was investigated in 130 patients with Type-II-diabetes in the course of a rehabilitation programme. Two groups were studied: a) diabetics on a non-drug therapy regimen, b) diabetics treated by insulin. At the end of the rehabilitation programme 55.6% of the non-insulin patients and 60.1% of the insulin treated patients exhibited a clinically significant improvement as measured by HbA1c. On the basis of the Düsseldorf Questionnaire for Narcissistic Regulation in Chronic Disease (DNACE) predictors of metabolic control were established. Using decision analysis, a correct prediction was possible in 73.1% resp. 85.4% of the cases. In the non-drug group, low values of the "helplessness/powerlessness" scale and high values of the "mourning" scale predicted an improvement of metabolic control at the end of the rehabilitation programme. On the other hand, in the insulin treated group the more successful patients were shown to have low values in the scales "distrust", "feeling of being ashamed of disease", "feeling of inferiority" and "fighting self-image" and high values in the scales "value ideal" and "symbiotic protection of the self". The results are discussed within the theoretical framework.