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This Group was formed in 19761. Its aim has been to study the emotional problems of children with diabetes and, more specifically, the effects of the illness on the child's personality development.
Juvenile diabetes2. affects the child and his family in several specific ways. The diagnosis is sudden and most often accompanied by immediate hospitalization. While in hospital, the child and his family learn that there will have to be drastic changes in the child's daily routine. (Marble et al, 1971; McArthur et al, 1976.)
The diabetic child's diet has to be carefully regulated. Exact amounts of certain types of food must be taken at set intervals; other foods are restricted. Thus, the child's pleasure in eating is interfered with, and the strict timing of food-intake infringes the child's freedom. Moreover, the diabetic child learns that he is in danger of hypoglycaemic coma if he eats too little and of hyperglycaemia and its ill-effects if he eats too much. Consciously or unconsciously, the child knows of the threat of death.
Daily insulin injections, urine testing and occasional blood tests are other burdens Imposed by the illness. The child and his family have to be constantly concerned with the child's diabetic balance. Juvenile diabetes is often difficult to control, and the child may have to face frequent hospitalizations. (Fällström, 1974)
A great deal of the group's work has been concerned with finding and selecting cases of diabetic children in need of, and suitable for, analytic treatment. We have established contacts with the British Diabetic Association and several interested paediatricians. Cur most fruitful contacts have been with two hospitals. In one of them two members of our group hold part-time employment, as child psychiatrist and child psychologist respectively.