Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026
06:46
A High-Throughput Multiplexed Screening for Type 1 Diabetes, Celiac Diseases, and COVID-19
Published on: July 5, 2022
Depression and Distress in Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes: A Latin American Multicenter Study
Valeria Hirschler1, Claudio D Gonzalez2, Amanda Benitez3
1Diabetes Argentine Society, Epidemiology , Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Endocrine Connections
|August 14, 2026
Summary
In Latin American children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), high rates of depressive symptoms and diabetes distress were found. Their combined presence is linked to worse metabolic control and lower socioeconomic status (SES).
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Child Psychology
- Diabetes Management
Background:
- Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in children requires ongoing management, significantly impacting quality of life.
- Mental health comorbidities, including depressive symptoms and diabetes-related distress, are increasingly recognized in pediatric T1DM populations.
- Understanding the interplay between mental health and metabolic control is crucial for comprehensive T1DM care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms and diabetes-related distress in Latin American children with T1DM.
- To investigate the association between the co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and diabetes distress with metabolic outcomes.
- To explore the relationship between these psychological factors, socioeconomic status (SES), and glycemic control (HbA1c).
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 244 children with T1DM from 10 centers in Argentina and Chile.
- Depressive symptoms assessed via the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D); diabetes distress via Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID).
- Statistical analyses included Spearman correlation, Phi coefficient, and multivariable logistic regression, controlling for age, sex, and BMI.
Main Results:
- Prevalence rates were high: 52% for depressive symptoms (CES-D ≥16) and 26.6% for diabetes distress (PAID ≥40).
- The subgroup with both high depressive symptoms and high diabetes distress (22.5%) showed significant inverse correlation with SES and positive correlation with HbA1c.
- Multivariable analysis revealed higher HbA1c (OR 1.34) and lower SES (OR 0.36) were independently associated with this high-symptom group.
Conclusions:
- The combined presence of depressive symptoms and diabetes-related distress is common in Latin American children with T1DM.
- This dual psychological burden is significantly associated with poorer metabolic control (higher HbA1c) and lower socioeconomic status.
- Findings underscore the need for integrated mental health screening and support in pediatric T1DM management.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Type I Diabetes III: Clinical Manifestations
Type 1 diabetes mellitus typically presents with rapid-onset symptoms due to the body’s inability to utilize glucose in the absence of insulin. Since insulin is required for glucose uptake into cells, its deficiency leads to hyperglycemia and cellular energy deprivation, resulting in characteristic clinical features.Polyuria and PolydipsiaOne of the earliest, most prominent symptoms is polyuria (excessive urination). When blood glucose concentrations rise above the renal threshold, the kidneys...
01:12Type I Diabetes I: Introduction
Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by an absolute deficiency of insulin resulting from the autoimmune destruction of pancreatic β-cells. Although it can occur at any age, it is most commonly diagnosed in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood. The loss of insulin production impairs cellular glucose uptake, resulting in persistent hyperglycemia and necessitating lifelong insulin therapy.Autoimmune Destruction of β-CellsThe hallmark of type 1 diabetes is an...
01:26Type I Diabetes II: Pathophysiology
Type 1 diabetes mellitus arises from an immune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β-cells, resulting in an absolute deficiency of insulin. This process develops in genetically susceptible individuals when autoimmunity, environmental exposures, and immunologic dysregulation converge to trigger a targeted attack on the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. The β-cells are located within the islets of Langerhans and are essential for regulating blood glucose by facilitating cellular uptake of...
01:22Diabetes Mellitus: Overview and Type I Subtype
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by high blood glucose levels due to inadequate insulin production, insulin resistance, or both. The condition affects millions worldwide and can significantly impact their health and quality of life.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, and individuals with...
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, and individuals with...
01:25Type II Diabetes Mellitus III: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnosis
Type 2 diabetes mellitus develops gradually and is often asymptomatic in early stages.Clinical ManifestationsWhen symptoms appear, they include fatigue, blurred vision, pruritus, delayed wound healing, and recurrent infections, particularly candidal infections. Peripheral neuropathy may present as numbness or tingling in the extremities. Classic hyperglycemia symptoms—polyuria, polydipsia, and polyphagia—are less common. Most patients are overweight and frequently have associated hypertension...
01:26Type II Diabetes I: Introduction
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance, in which target tissues such as the liver, muscle, and adipose tissue respond poorly to insulin. It is also associated with inadequate compensatory insulin secretion, where pancreatic β-cells fail to produce sufficient insulin. Together, these abnormalities lead to persistent hyperglycemia.EtiologyT2DM develops through a complex interaction of genetic predisposition and environmental or...