Comparison of the Dimensions of Coherence and Family Adaptability among the Mothers of Children with Type 1 Diabetes and Healthy Children in Isfahan City, Iran

Type 1 diabetes is one the most common endocrine disorders in children which could have different psychological effects on the family, especially mothers of the patients. Considering that psychological problems of the patients’ mother, especially coherence and family adaptability, could impair the management process of the disease, we aimed to compare the coherence and family adaptability among the mothers of type 1 diabetes and healthy children. In this case-control study, mothers of children with type 1 diabetes and healthy children were enrolled. The coherence and family adaptability of selected mothers in the two studied groups were evaluated and compared using Olson and Barnes Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES-IV). Findings: In this study, 50 mothers were studied in each group. Mean unconditional cohesion, enmeshment cohesion, and strict adaptability were significantly higher in mothers of children with type 1 diabetes than mothers of healthy children (P < 0.05). The findings of this study indicate that the presence of children with type 1 diabetes in a family may disrupt compliance, and may ultimately interfere with the treatment and control of the disease in the affected children. It also suggested that the experience of unconditional coherence, interconnected cohesion, and strict adaptability in mothers provide conditions to make the children insusceptible