Andreassen, Hege Kristine (2009) Separation-individuation and its effect on diabetes management and diabetes control in young women with Type 1 diabetes. Other Degree thesis, Victoria University.

Abstract

Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, or Type 1 Diabetes, is a potentially lifethreatening chronic illness which places affected individuals at increased risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, and amputation. The incidence of Type 1 Diabetes has increased in countries world wide including Australia. During adolescence and young adulthood diabetes management and control have been found to deteriorate placing the young person at risk of diabetes related complications. This deterioration in diabetes management and control among adolescents and young adults has been suggested to be related to the many developmental changes taking place in this period. In particular, the process of separation-individuation referred to in different developmental theories could be relevant to how a young person manage a chronic illness such as Type 1 Diabetes. However, very little empirical research has been conducted in regard to separation-individuation and most research to date has been done in the US with college students. The generalizability of the results from these studies to other populations of adolescents and young adults is unknown. The primary aim of the present study was to examine factors thought important to the separation-individuation process in a sample of young Australian women and to investigate how having a chronic illness such as Type 1 Diabetes might influence this developmental process. A further aim was to explore factors expected to be important to diabetes management during young adulthood.

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