In order to get a proper grasp on the significance of stress, we need to examine how it is controlled and dealt with within the context of the dynamic of the family. The significance of particular stressful life events and the effects of those events on an individual in terms of how well they regulate stress and bounce back from adversity cannot be overstated. The individual’s genetic sensitivity, coping strategies, personality type, and the extent to which they have social support all have a role in the impact that stressful life experiences have on them Sharif (2022).
One of the factors that is thought to contribute in a complex way to increased insulin demands and pancreatic beta-cell overload GOdoy (2022), which in turn is believed to mediate their destruction and consequently the emergence of type 1 diabetes, was a dysregulated individual response to psychological stress.
The theory of attachment is an early theory of psychological development that has gotten a lot of attention in recent years. This makes it a very fascinating way to tackle the problem of understanding the impact that stress has in people’s lives. Attachment is referred to as a behavioral and physiological mechanism that makes it possible for an individual to dynamically adapt to the environment in which they find themselves. It is formed by close connection between an infant and the person who takes care of them, and it continues to have an effect on the quality of the interactions people have throughout their lives. It is intrinsically tied to the manner in which an individual manages stress, initially with the assistance of the primary caretaker and later on by oneself in accordance with the internal attachment representations. These are broken down into two categories: secure and insecure, with the latter leading to a more intense stress response compared to the former .
There have only been a few research done to assess what impact attachment plays in the probability of developing type 1 diabetes. Using Adult Attachment Interviews, Sepa et al (2021) investigated the link between the mothers’ attachment insecurity and diabetes-related autoimmunity in early childhood. The researchers conducted the study with two groups of mothers: one group of mothers had infants who tested positive for antibodies, and the other group of mothers had infants who tested negative for antibodies. Their findings indicated that there was a significantly higher prevalence of insecure moms among those who tested positive for antibodies, despite the fact that this link was not statistically significant. They came to the conclusion that even if there is an association between mothers’ attachment and diabetes-related autoimmunity in children, it is not very strong. They reached this conclusion after taking into account the fact that their sample size was relatively small as well as the fact that there is typically a poor correlation between mother and child attachment. Our team conducted a study based on their findings, which involved 106 healthy control pairs and 101 dyads of children who were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and their primary caregivers. The questionnaire that was given to the parents, as well as the Child Attachment Interview, were used to measure the level of attachment that the children had with their parents (the children). The results showed that there was no association between the children’s attachment to their parents and the development of type 1 diabetes. On the other hand, researchers found that a higher level of attachment anxiety in the child’s primary caregiver was associated with a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes .
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