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Improving Life with Child Diabetes: Overcoming Emotional Challenges

Learn how to help children with diabetes cope emotionally & overcome societal challenges to lead fulfilling lives. Practical advice for parents, siblings, and peers.

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Improving Life with Child Diabetes: Overcoming Emotional Challenges

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  1. Type 1 Diabetes and Psychoeducation Part 2 of 3 Using the Delivery of Education to Diminish Barriers to Diabetes Treatment Dave Joffe, BSPharm, CDE, Editor in Chief April Steen, LCSW, MSW

  2. The Child • Emotional • Grief • Fear • Guilt • Anger • Denial • Resentment • Depression • Social • Stigmatized • Teased • Bullied • Withdrawn

  3. The Child • Don’t hide anything when telling the child about his/her diagnosis • This will help the child accept the diagnosis and lead to better outcomes • Assure the child it was not his/her fault • Give examples of role models who have diabetes (Nick Jonas, Randy Jackson,…) • Encourage the child to tell his/her friends • Offer to help explain it to the child’s friends and their parents • Do not force the child to go to camp or support groups • Strongly encourage it and have them talk to others who have had a good experience • Encourage the child to ask questions and to show emotions

  4. Siblings • Emotional • Anger • Resentment • Pity/Sadness • Guilt • Fear • Jealousy • Embarrassment

  5. Siblings • Educate the siblings about diabetes and do not hide anything • They are not contagious, they did not do anything wrong, etc. • Have open discussions about feelings and encourage questions • Spend special time with each child individually • Dedicate one night of the week to each child • Let them know their sibling with diabetes is going to need a lot of support, love, and understanding • Include siblings with monitoring/management of the child’s diabetes

  6. Peers/Friends • Misunderstandings and misconceptions due to lack of knowledge • Peers may feel the child may not be able to do everything they can do (play sports, run around, have desserts, etc.) • Awkward • Others may not know what to say or how to act around them • Over-protective • Friends may be very “watchful” as to what the child eats and how often they test and “report” back to the parent • Defiant • Some may tell the child it is not necessary to test or make it sound “un-cool” to eat a special diet causing the child to be defiant

  7. Peers/Friends • If the child is nervous about telling peers, help him/her decide who to tell and what to say • Role play and act out scenarios • Speak with the teacher and set aside an afternoon to talk to your child’s class about diabetes and explain what they may see • Tell close family, friends, and relatives as well as anyone else who may care for the child • Educate on snacks, meals and signs/symptoms of hyper- and hypoglycemia • Tell the parents to advise of the importance of eating correctly and monitoring blood sugar

  8. Parents • Emotional • Grief • Fear • Guilt • Anger • Denial • Resentment • Depression • Economical • Doctors bills • Medications • Testing supplies • Social • Speaking to teachers • Telling friends and family

  9. Parents • Educate parents on the disease state and assure them it was nothing that they have done to cause it • Encourage parents to write down questions • Direct the parents to a support group • Suggest family counseling • Encourage the parents not have different expectations of the child diagnosed with diabetes • Advise that at first there will be minor changes but over time it will become part of their daily routine

  10. Parent and Child Education • Education is a contributing factor to the emotional impact disease can have on a family • Consider initially & periodically meeting with parents separate from the child • Parents can help the doctor with ways to educate their child • Parents may have issues they would like to discuss • Talk with the family about myths associated with childhood diabetes • Help to relieve some of the stigma associated with diabetes • Have someone sufficient in diabetes education available to the family for any questions

  11. Parent Education • Explain the feelings children might have in dealing with diabetes & how these feelings may change with age • Help parents establish the amount of involvement they should have when it comes to their child’s diabetes care • Generally the amount of involvement should correlate with the age & maturity of the child • Stress to parents the importance of taking care of themselves & allowing others to help

  12. Tips for Parents • Acknowledge the child’s feelings • Encourage the child to play an active role in their health care • Emphasize independence • Help the child find strengths • Focus on friendships • Talk about ways to cope with bullying • Clarify any misconceptions he/she may have • Get in touch with other families & children who have diabetes www.wallcoo.net

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