Comparing Emotion Cognitive Regulation, Alexithymia and Neuropsychological Skills among Teenagers with Type-1 Diabetes and Healthy Ones

Abstract

Background: The emergence of chronic physiologic diseases in the people causes their mental health damage. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare emotion cognitive regulation, alexithymia and neuropsychological skills among teenagers with type-1 diabetes and healthy ones.

Methods: This was a causal-comparative method. The statistical population included teenagers with type-1 diabetes and healthy ones in the city of Rasht in 2016. The sample size was 100 teenagers with type-1 diabetes and 100 healthy ones who were selected through convenient sampling method. The applied questionnaires included alexithymia questionnaire, emotion cognitive regulation and neuropsychological skills questionnaire. After collecting questionnaires and extracting raw data, the data analysis was done through two-group independent sample t-test.

Results: The results of data analysis showed that there is a significant difference between emotion cognitive regulation, alexithymia and neuropsychological skills among students with type-2 diabetes and healthy ones (p < 0.0001) in a way that the teenagers with type-1 diabetes have lower emotion cognitive regulation and neuropsychological skills and higher alexithymia than healthy ones.

Conclusion: According to the findings, teenagers with type-1 diabetes have lower emotion cognitive regulation and neuropsychological skills and higher alexithymia due to treatment and psychological involvement in their sickness; so, there needs to use treatments related to these components such as mindfulness and acceptance and commitment treatment to improve them.