How Do the Challenges of Emerging Adulthood Inform our Understanding of Diabetes Distress? An Integrative Review

Abstract

Purpose of review: Emerging adulthood (ages 18-29) presents many emotional, social, and developmental challenges that can contribute to an increased sense of burden when managing type 1 diabetes (T1D). Diabetes distress (DD) is the concept that captures the emotional burden, frustrations, and worries resulting from living with T1D. This integrative review sets out to examine the impact of developmental context by answering this question: How do the challenges of emerging adulthood inform our understanding of DD?

Recent findings: DD is highly prevalent in emerging adults and occurs at higher rates than in other age groups. Qualitative studies reveal that DD is embedded within the developmental challenges specific to living with T1D during this stage. Quantitative studies reveal the prevalence and correlates of DD in this age group, and qualitative studies augment these findings by capturing the scope and complexity of the emotional burden of living with T1D as an emerging adult.

Keywords: Diabetes distress; Emerging adulthood; Integrative review; Type 1 diabetes; Young adults.