Pathways to Resilience III: Beyond Nature vs. Nurture

Abstract #295
Resilience in Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes
Presenter: Luciana Cassarino-Perez Co - Presenter: Débora Dell'Aglio  
Abstract:
This study investigated processes of resilience in adolescents with type 1 diabetes, identifying risk and protective factors through multiple case studies. Participants were three adolescents, two boys and one girl, aged 13 to 14, who were patients of an institution specialized in treatment of diabetic patients, and their mothers. The instruments used were semi-structured interviews and the Five Field Map. The interviews were designed to investigate how these patients take care of their own health, how they cope with the disease, the benefits and losses of having diabetes, as well as personal characteristics and future plans. Qualitative content analysis was made using the WebQDA software, based on the Bioecological Theory of Human Development. It was found that protective factors such as social support, emotional attachment and personal characteristics of self-esteem, optimism and altruism, contributed to expression of resilience processes. Conclusions highlight the importance of strengthening the support network as a protective factor for coping with type 1 diabetes, especially through the integration between the different contexts in which teenagers are inserted.