From caregiver psychological distress to adolescent glycemic control: The mediating role of perceived burden around diabetes management

Objective: To examine whether perceived caregiver burden around diabetes management mediated the relationship between caregivers' psychological distress and adolescents' glycemic control. Methods: Across three visits spanning 9 months, caregivers of 147 adolescents with type 1 diabetes completed measures of anxiety and depressive symptoms and a measure of perceived burden specific to diabetes management. Adolescents' glycemic control was also measured. Results: Perceived burden mediated the relationship between caregiver depressive symptoms and adolescents' glycemic control. The overall model was significant, F(10,132) = 5.0, p <. 001, R² = 0.27. Fifty percent of the relationship was explained by diabetes-specific burden. The relationship between caregiver anxiety symptoms and adolescent glycemic control was partially mediated by diabetes-specific burden, F(10,133) = 5.7, p <. 001, R² = 0.30, explaining 26% of this relationship. Discussion: A variable linking caregiver psychological distress to adolescent glycemic control is perceived caregiver burden around diabetes management. Implications for clinical practice include targeting caregiver psychological functioning and reducing global and diabetes-specific distress.