Depression and attentional bias to unpleasant emotional information in children with type ۱ diabetes

Background and Aim: Accumulating evidence suggests that children living with type ۱ diabetes are at increased risk for mental health comorbidities including depression. Depression - according to cognitive models - is associated with attentional bias to unpleasant emotional information. Accordingly, one can expect attentional bias to unpleasant emotional stimuli in children with type ۱ diabetes. Methods: ۲۷ children with type ۱ diabetes aged ۸ - ۱۰ and ۲۷ children without diabetes (healthy controls) participated in this study. Participants completed a modified version of dot probe task (Attentional Response to Distal vs. Proximal Emotional Information) as a measure of attentional bias. Reynolds' children depression scale was also administered. Children's performance on these measures was compared in the two groups and the relation between attentional bias for unpleasant stimuli and depression was investigated. Results: The present study aimed to inquire into the relation between depression and attentional bias to unpleasant emotional stimuli in children with type ۱ diabetes. Findings: Attentional bias for emotional information (both pleasant and unpleasant) was observed in both groups. The results also revealed that only in children with diabetes a higher level of depression correlated with more robust attentional engagement with mood congruent stimuli. Similar effect was not observed in healthy controls. Conclusion: All in all, the findings suggested that attentional bias towards unpleasant emotional information in children with type ۱ diabetes could be a risk factor in developing depression in these children.

کلیدواژه ها:

attentional bias ، children ، depression ، type ۱ diabetes