Sibling psychological adjustment to type 1 diabetes mellitus

Objective: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic condition whose management affects the whole family, and siblings of children with chronic conditions have been shown to be at higher risk of emotional and behavioural problems. The aims of this study were to investigate sibling adjustment to T1DM using a cross-sectional questionnaire survey design. Methods: Forty-one families (48% of those eligible) were recruited from a children’s diabetes clinic. From each family, one parent and one sibling of the child with T1DM participated. Parents completed questionnaires measuring sibling adjustment and measures of major life events, social support and parenting stress. Demographic and disease information was obtained from medical records. Siblings completed questionnaires assessing cognitive appraisals and coping strategies. A semi-structured interview was also administered to siblings. Results: Siblings were found to be better adjusted than normative data (p