Ralnikova Irina A.

Background. The study relevance is due to the high prevalence of diabetes mellitus among children and adolescents, on the one hand, and on the other hand — to the important role of the attitudes towards the disease and the future life in their compliance behavior and effective compensation for the disease.

Objective. To study the features of attitudes towards the future, attitudes towards the disease and their relationship in adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type 1).

Methods. “Multidimensional scale of attitude to the future” by V. Kalster and “Type of attitude to the disease” by A. Lichko and N. Ivanova. For statistical data processing, Pearson’s parametric correlation analysis and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used.

Sample. The study involved 80 respondents with diabetes aged 12 to 15 years (55% — female).

Results. The study identified the most pronounced types of attitudes towards the disease in adolescents with diabetes mellitus: anosognosic, neurasthenic, hypochondriacal, apathetic. The picture of the future of the surveyed adolescents is characterized by weak emotional attractiveness, it seems to them remote and difficult. Adolescents aged 12–13 represent their future to be more difficult compared to adolescents aged 14–15. The more planned the future seems, the more pronounced the anxiety toward the disease. The remoteness of the future in time is associated with increased vulnerability. The perception of the future as imposed from the outside is associated with the search for benefits related to the disease. The future seen as interesting and useful is associated with the acceptance of the fact of disease. A sense of predestination and the imposed future in adolescents with diabetes is associated with a demonstration of their suffering and experiences.

Conclusion. Revealing the prevailing type of attitude towards the disease and the emotional attitude to the future plays a significant role in the effective compensation of diabetes in adolescents. The results of the study have been introduced into the practice of psychological assistance to adolescents with diabetes mellitus and their parents.