Impact of caregivers' psychological well-being on mental health and disease management in children with type 1 diabetes: A cross-sectional study using structural equation modeling.

Caregivers' depression, anxiety, stress, and caregiving burden were significantly associated with children's emotional, behavioral, and social difficulties.

• Correlation coefficients ranged from r = 0.51 to 0.77, p < 0.001
• The study included 129 child-caregiver dyads with children aged 10-18 years
• All caregivers were mothers
• Children were followed at a pediatric endocrinology outpatient clinic in Turkey
• Data were collected using validated questionnaires

Structural equation modeling supported a sequential pathway in which caregiving burden predicted parental psychological distress, which in turn influenced children's illness attitudes and psychosocial outcomes.

• Standardized beta coefficients ranged from β = 0.52 to 0.66, p < 0.001
• The pathway was sequential, with caregiving burden as an upstream predictor
• Outcome variables included children's illness attitudes and psychosocial outcomes
• Analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling on 129 dyads

The study employed a cross-sectional design with 129 child-caregiver dyads of children with type 1 diabetes.

• Children were aged 10-18 years
• All caregivers were mothers
• Participants were recruited from a pediatric endocrinology outpatient clinic in Turkey
• Data collection relied on validated questionnaires
• Structural equation modeling was the primary analytic approach

Caregiver mental health plays a critical role in children's illness perception and psychosocial adjustment in the context of type 1 diabetes.

• The association between caregiver psychological distress and child outcomes was statistically significant across multiple domains including emotional, behavioral, and social difficulties
• Illness attitudes of children were influenced by the caregiver distress pathway
• The findings suggest an indirect effect of caregiver support on children's coping capacity
• Authors recommend pediatric and family nurses incorporate caregiver psychological assessment into diabetes management

Family-centered interventions addressing caregiver distress and burden may enhance children's coping capacity, illness attitudes, and psychosocial well-being.

• Supporting caregivers may indirectly improve coping and psychosocial well-being in children with type 1 diabetes
• Pediatric and family nurses are identified as key implementers of caregiver psychological assessment and support
• The recommendation stems from observed sequential pathways from burden to distress to child outcomes
• Both caregiver psychological distress and caregiving burden were identified as intervention targets