Determining the Causal Relationships between the Brain-behavioral System and Psychological Vulnerability in Female Patients with Diabetes Based on the Mediator Role of Anxiety Sensitivity

Patients with diabetes usually experience a lot of psychological vulnerability after diagnosis and during the treatment process, and one of the factors related to a psychological vulnerability in patients with diabetes is behavioral brain systems, so this research aims to determine the causal relationships between the brain system Behavior with psychological vulnerability in female patients with diabetes was conducted based on the mediator role of anxiety sensitivity.

The research method is descriptive and based on structural equations. The study’s statistical population included all women with diabetes in the specialized diabetes clinic of Karaj City in the first half of 2011. According to the number of observed variables in this research, 380 people were selected as samples. Data were collected using Carver and White's Behavioral Brain Systems Questionnaire, Mental Health Questionnaire (SCL-25), and Taylor and Cox Anxiety Sensitivity. Data analysis was done using SPSS and AMOS version 18 software. Data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling.

The results showed that the total path coefficient between the behavioral inhibition system and psychological vulnerability (β=0.300, P=0.001) is positive and the total path coefficient between the behavioral activation system and psychological vulnerability (β=0.241, P=0.001) is negative. And it is meaningful. The path coefficient between anxiety sensitivity and psychological vulnerability (p=0.001, β=0.384) was positive and significant. The coefficient of the indirect path between the behavioral inhibition system and psychological vulnerability (P=0.002, β=0.071) is positive and the coefficient of the indirect path between the behavioral activation system and psychological vulnerability (P=0.001, β=0.117) is negative and it was meaningful.

Based on this, it was concluded that among patients, anxiety sensitivity mediates the effect of the behavioral inhibition system on psychological vulnerability in a positive way and the behavioral activation system in a negative and meaningful way, and it is suggested that to comply with treatment in chronic patients, in addition to disease and complications It also paid special attention to mental health.