Diabetes-specific friend support in emerging adults with type 1 diabetes: Does satisfaction with support matter?

• DOI: 10.1007/s10865-021-00211-3
• Publication Date: 2021-03-07T16:02:31Z
• Authors: Koen Raymaekers; Vicki S. Helgeson; Sofie Prikken; Janne Vanhalst; Philip Moons; Eva Goossens; Cynthia A. Berg; Koen Luyckx
• Keywords: Adult; Adolescent; Friends; Personal Satisfaction; Self Concept; 3. Good health; Self Care; 03 medical and health sciences; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1; 0302 clinical medicine; Psychology; Humans; Human medicine

Youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) must adhere to a complex treatment regimen to prevent health complications. Friends may provide diabetes-specific support to help youth manage diabetes, but evidence on whether youth benefit from diabetes-specific friend support is inconclusive. The present study first investigated whether satisfaction with friend support was linked to psychological distress and diabetes management. Second, it was investigated whether self-esteem mediated these relations. To this end, 324 Dutch-speaking emerging adults (17-28 years) with T1D completed questionnaires on diabetes-specific friend support, self-esteem, diabetes-specific distress, depressive symptoms, and self-care. HbA1c values were obtained from patients' physicians. Receiving diabetes-specific support from friends was associated with more diabetes-specific distress, but not for youth who were satisfied with the received support. Diabetes-specific friend support was not associated with other outcomes. Self-esteem did not mediate these relations. These results suggest that associations between diabetes-specific friend support and diabetes management are limited and that support satisfaction should be taken into consideration when examining the role of friend support for youth with T1D.