Mood, learned resourcefulness and perceptions of control in type 1 diabetes mellitus

A cohort of 90 insulin-dependent diabetics was examined to explore the relationship between physiological measures of control, learned resourcefulness, and the patients' perceptions of their own and their doctor's control over the diabetes. The doctors' perceptions of control over diabetes were measured. The patient's perceptions of control over diabetes were also measured. The patient's perceptions of control are compared with their doctor's views about medical and patient responsibility for controlling the condition. Patients in this study, overall, have a low level of psychiatric morbidity, with only 7% depressed and with a lower anxiety level than those reported in other published studies. It was found that patients who view control of good outcomes to be in the hands of their doctors fare worse as far as physiological control is concerned. There was little congruence between the attitudes of doctor and patient pairs about responsibility for controlling the diabetes mellitus. The most important clinical implication of the study is that there appears to be a relationship between poor physiological control and a passive, dependent approach to the condition.