A study published in ‘Diabetes Care’ which investigated the association and familial coaggregation of childhood-onset type 1 diabetes with depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders showed that children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes are at greater risks of developing depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders and indicate that shared familial factors might contribute to these elevated risks.

The population-based cohort study used data from Swedish nationwide registers. A total of ∼3.5 million individuals were linked to their biological parents, full siblings and half-siblings, and cousins. Cox models were used to estimate the association and familial coaggregation of type 1 diabetes with depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders. Individuals diagnosed with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes (n = 20,005) were found to be at greater risks of all outcomes: any psychiatric diagnosis (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.66 [95% CI 1.59–1.72]) or specific diagnosis of depression (1.85 [1.76–1.94]), anxiety (1.41[1.33–1.50]), and stress-related disorders (1.75 [1.62–1.89]), as well as use of antidepressants or anxiolytics (1.30 [1.26–1.34]), compared with individuals without type 1 diabetes. The relatives of individuals with type 1 diabetes were at elevated risks of developing these outcomes, with the highest risks seen in parents (aHRs 1.18–1.25), followed by full siblings (aHRs 1.05–1.20), and the magnitudes of risk estimates appear proportional to familial relatedness.

According to the research team, the findings highlight the need for psychological consulting for children and their families in diabetes care.