The long branch of phase-environment fit: Concurrent and longitudinal implications of match and mismatch among diabetic and nondiabetic youth

Based on the stage-environment fit perspective (Eccles Br Midgley), we hypo thesized that diabetic adolescents who experience a developmental match wou ld be more likely to experience optimal psychosocial outcomes. Three questi ons were addressed: Are there links between developmental match and adolesc ents' psychosocial outcomes, and if so do such links differ by diabetic sta tus' what are the long-term implications for later psychosocial outcomes of developmental match, and do such links differ by diabetic status ? Do adol escents differentially perceive community support as a function of their de velopmental match and diabetic status? we assessed diabetic and nondiabetic adolescent boys and girls from a larger longitudinal study of chronic illn ess. Family characteristics were observed in a revealed difference task. Re sults suggested that even after controlling for psychosocial factors during adolescence, the benefits of developmental march (and the costs of develop mental mismatch) could be observed during young adulthood. In addition, pre adolescents with diabetes perceived their community as more supportive than any other group of adolescents. Results are discussed within a development al contextual perspective, with particular attention to the experiences of diabetic adolescents.