Child following with TYPE 1 diabetes mellitusand quality of life of adolescents evaluation

Introduction: Type 1 DM is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by insulin deficiency and hyperglycemia, which develops because of destruction of the β cells of the pancreas in childhood. Although it is basically a disease of the endocrine system, it is a condition with social and psychological dimensions for patients. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the quality of life and depression levels of children and adolescents with Type 1 DM and to examine the relationship between these results and sociodemographic characteristics. Materials and Methods: In this study, 83 patients with the diagnosis of Type 1 DM aged 8-17 years and 86 healthy children in the same age group who applied to Pediatric Outpatient Clinic of Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University Medical Faculty Hospital between 05.07.2021 and 01.01.2022 were included. Children's Quality of Life Scale (CQLS) was used to measure quality of life in children, and parent- CQLS, in which parents evaluated their children's quality of life, was used. The Children's Depression Scale (CDS) was used to assess depression. Results: In our study, the patient and control groups were similar in terms of age and gender. Physical Health Total Score (PHTS), Psychosocial Health Total Score (PHTS) and Scale Total Score (STS) defined by the parents were lower in the patient group than in the control group (p values were 0.003, 0.010, 0.004, respectively). CDS score and CDS score level were higher in the patient group than in the control group (p values were <0.001, <0.001, respectively). It was found that patients with Type 1 DM had a higher depression level and a 12.5 times increased risk for depression compared to healthy children. Conclusion: Our study reveals the necessity of psychosocial support and working with a team in the follow-up of children and adolescents with Type 1 DM. From the diagnosis, patients and their families should be supported psychosocially, patients should be followed up with the cooperation of specialists dealing with child- adolescent mental health, providing increase of their quality of life and preventing possible complications by intermittent screening for depression and similar psychopathologies. Key words: Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, child, quality of life, depression