The Relationship of Illness Uncertainty and Attributional Style to Long-Term Psychological Distress in Parents of Children With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

This preliminary study longitudinally examined the relationship of illness uncertainty and attributional style to psychological distress among parents of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Thirty parents who had participated in a larger study 5 to 6 years earlier completed measures of illness uncertainty, attributional style, and psychological distress. Time 1 illness uncertainty significantly predicted Time 2 distress; Time 1 negative attributional style did not. Post hoc probing revealed that Time 1 illness uncertainty did not mediate Time 1 and Time 2 distress. Results suggest that illness uncertainty continues to be a salient and robust predictor of parental adjustment outcomes over time.