[Stress in the life of Nigerian diabetics]

The authors set out to answer the question (a) whether there are stress conditions in the life histories of Nigerian diabetic patients and (b) whether diabetic patients have complaints which have psychiatric significance. With regard to the first question, important biographic data of 54 diabetics were elicited. A constellation of significant stressful life situations was found among the diabetics such as early loss of father, being first borns, born of polygamous parents, being themselves polygamous, being the children of the first wives, and producing many children without having the adequate professions to yield the necessary financial resources to train them. Loneliness was not seen as part of these stressful life situation since almost all of them were married. With regard to the second question, the Enugu Somatization Scale was administered to the above mentioned diabetics (n = 54). It was found that about 37% of the diabetics have somatic symptoms which are indicative of psychiatric disturbance.