Adolescence and Type 1 Diabetes: Evaluation and Psychological Treatment of a Case with Intellectual Development Disorder

The care of adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes is a challenge for pediatric and adult health teams, especially if we find psychological or psychiatric comorbidities in this population. The case of a 14-year-old adolescent with type 1 diabetes and intellectual development disorder who presented problems of adherence to diabetic treatment is described. Psychological evaluation was performed to obtain a cognitive, emotional and relational profile. A 6-month intervention was planned for cognitive stimulation, frustration management and behavioral regulation in the family. The psychological intervention contributed to take a comprehensive look at the problem of adherence, support the adolescent and his family in the process of recovery of diabetic care and improve metabolic control but without achieving the optimal HbA1c value (<7.5%).