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Journal of Pediatric Psychology Advance Access originally published online on July 12, 2006
Journal of Pediatric Psychology 2007 32(3):260-272; doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsl018
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© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Illness Centrality and Well-Being Among Male and Female Early Adolescents with Diabetes

Vicki S. Helgeson, PhD and Sarah A. Novak, PhD

Carnegie Mellon University

All correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Vicki S. Helgeson, PhD, Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh 15213. E-mail: vh2e{at}andrew.cmu.edu.


  Abstract

Objective We examined the implications of illness centrality for psychological and physical health among male and female early adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Methods We interviewed 132 adolescents before or after a routine clinic appointment. We measured the extent to which they defined themselves in terms of their illness, their views of the illness, psychological well-being, self-care behavior, and metabolic control. Results Females scored higher on illness centrality than males. Illness centrality was related to poor psychological well-being when the illness was perceived in negative terms, but only for females. For males, illness centrality was unrelated to psychological well-being. Illness centrality was related to poor metabolic control. Conclusions The extent to which adolescent females define themselves in terms of their illness is most problematic when the illness is perceived in highly negative terms. Future research should examine how illness centrality and views of illness change over the course of adolescence.

Key words: adolescents with diabetes; gender; health; self-concept.

Received January 13, 2006; revision received April 10, 2006; revision received June 7, 2006; accepted June 7, 2006


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