COOPERATION BETWEEN PARENTS IN CARING FOR DIABETIC CHILDREN - RELATIONS TO METABOLIC CONTROL AND PARENTS FIELD-DEPENDENCE-INDEPENDENCE

Aspects of parental interaction were assessed in 20 families with diab etic, insulin-dependent children, using hour-long video-taped intervie ws, the children being in optimal (O, n = 10) or poor (P, n = 10) meta bolic control and showing optimal or poor psychological adaptation. In comparison with the O-group parents, the P-group parents were less ap preciative of one another, were less congruent in their attitudes to d iabetes care, and appeared not to respect their childrens' independenc e and integrity; the mothers were discontented with the support given them by their husbands; the children assumed less responsibility for m anaging their diabetes and seemed less confident during the interview. The results are interpreted in light of an earlier finding that the P -group fathers are more field-dependent (FD) than their wives while th e opposite is true for the O-group fathers. With reference to evidence from the cognitive style literature, we suggest that the relatively F D P-group fathers have difficulties in acting as autonomous sources of support to their wives resulting in marital discord and a delayed tra nsition from maternal to self care in their children.