A new report from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists has confirmed that patients with type 1 diabetes who have more positive attitudes toward their illness enjoy better mental and physical health. They found that stress, attitude and ability to cope are all factors in the seriousness of a person's diabetes.

Researchers evaluated 49 adults with type 1 diabetes on these factors:

• The impact of their illness
• The type of stress or negative attitudes of harm, loss, threat and functional context
• The degree of stress and coping resources
• Positive attitudes of hope, motivation and control
• Expectancy of recurrence of illness

They noted that the psychological stress of living with diabetes requires great adjustments, even more than the lifestyle changes demanded by its treatment. They found that patients were more concerned about possible future complications than about taking their injections or limitations in their current lifestyle.

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