Mental health and parenting stress in mothers of children with diabetes treated in a patient-centred medical home

Abstract

Background: Mothers of children with diabetes are at-risk for experiencing parenting stress and diminished mental/emotional health. To the best of our knowledge, no studies to date have examined whether there are differences in these outcomes between mothers whose diabetic child is managed in a patient-centred medical home or not.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to assess whether there were differences in mental health and parenting stress among mothers whose diabetic child was managed in a patient-centred medical home or not.

Methods: Two hundred fifty-three mothers of children with diabetes (mean age = 12.50 years; SD = 3.90) from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health were included in this study. Hierarchical multiple regression was conducted to determine the amount of variance that having a patient-centred medical home contributed to maternal emotional/mental health and parenting stress.

Results: After controlling for child sex, age, race/ethnicity and family poverty level, patient-centred medical home status was associated with better mental health for mothers and less parenting stress. Effective care coordination was the only subcomponent of the patient-centred medical home that significantly contributed to the variance in mother's mental/emotional health and parenting stress.

Conclusions: Receiving care in a patient-centred medical home, particularly the care coordination component, may mitigate some of the negative maternal effects of managing a child's diabetes.

Keywords: Diabetes; mental health; mother; parenting stress; patient-centred medical home.