Insulin-induced Anxiety in Children with Diabetes

Insulin therapy is an invasive and stressful procedure, which requires daily repetition. This type of therapy can be challenging and stressful for children and their families. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to determine the level of insulin-induced anxiety among children with type I diabetes. In this cross-sectional study, insulin-induced anxiety was analyzed for three days in 30 children with type I diabetes (aged 3-12 years), using the Observational Scale of Behavioral Distress-Revised (OSBD-R) at Isfahan Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center The findings showed that 50%, 30%, and 20% of diabetic children had slight, moderate, and severe levels of anxiety, respectively. Verbal resistance and crying were the most common manifestations of behavioral distress in diabetic children during insulin injections. There was a significant association between insulin-induced anxiety and variables such as age, duration of diabetes, and the number of daily insulin injections. Insulin-induced anxiety is a challenging issue for young diabetic children and their parents, especially in the early phase of disease detection. In fact, the induced anxiety may affect children's physical and mental health. Therefore, further studies and interventions are required to reduce patients&rsquo anxiety and improve their adjustment with insulin therapy.