A Survey of Family Problems in Patients with Type II Diabetes: A Review Article

Complications resulting from diabetes have a large impact on patients’ quality of life and their families and impose significant costs on both the patients and social economy. Marital relationship is affected by chronic diseases. Therefore, affliction with diabetes may also affect family relationships. In this study, we aimed to review the family problems of patients with type II diabetes. Scientific databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, SID and Iran Medex were searched in order to identify articles published during 1992-2014, using the following keywords: “diabetes patients” and “family problems”. Finally, 40 articles were examined, among which only 22 articles were considered relevant to the purpose of the present study. According to the results of this study, family support is effective in controlling the disease in diabetic patients. Also, it helps patients accept the consequences of their condition. This can have positive impacts on family conditions of diabetic patients. According to the findings, diabetes is the main cause of reduced family satisfaction in affected couples. In total, family plays an important supporting role in determining the quality of life in these patients.