Keeping Parents Connected in Early Emerging Adulthood: Diabetes-Related Disclosure and Solicitation

• Published in: Journal of family psychology 2019-10, Vol.33 (7), p.809-818
• Main Authors: Kelly, Caitlin S., Berg, Cynthia A., Lansing, Amy H., Turner, Sara L., Munion, Ascher K., Tracy, Eunjin L., Wiebe, Deborah J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior - psychology; Adults; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - psychology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - therapy; Diabetics; Disclosure; Disease Management; Emerging Adulthood; Female; Glucose; Human; Humans; Linear analysis; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Parent Child Relations; Parents; Parents & parenting; Parents - psychology; Self Care - psychology; Self-Disclosure; Self-Management; Selfmanagement; Test Construction; Type 1 Diabetes; Type 1 diabetes mellitus
• ISSN: 0893-3200; 1939-1293
• DOI: 10.1037/fam0000565

Emerging adults with Type 1 diabetes benefit when parents remain knowledgeable of their self-management. Yet how early emerging adults remain connected with parents while they experience normative declines in involvement and move out of the parental home is unclear. The present study examined how disclosure to, and solicitation from, parents may (a) be a way that emerging adults and parents remain connected, (b) occur with different methods of contact (i.e., face-to-face; non-face-to-face), and (c) associate with diabetes management differently for those living in versus outside of the parental home. Early emerging adults with Type 1 diabetes (N = 202; Mage = 18.81 years; 66% female) completed measures of their methods of contact with parents; diabetes-related disclosure to, and solicitation from, parents; and diabetes management as part of a 14-day daily diary. General linear models found that face-to-face contact was associated with greater disclosure to parents, for both those living in and out of the parental home. Individuals who lived outside the parental home used more non-face-to-face contact (e.g., texting) than those in the parental home. Multilevel models revealed that higher disclosure to mothers on a daily basis (within-persons) and to mothers and fathers overall (between-persons) was associated with better diabetes management similarly for those living in versus out of the parental home. Results suggest that face-to-face contact may be most effective for keeping parents "in the know" about diabetes management. Moreover, disclosure and solicitation continue to support diabetes management even as individuals move out of the parental home.