Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: Alexithymia, Intolerance to Uncertainty and Psychopathology Affecting Subjects’ Disease Course

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic disease characterized by insulin deficiency leading to hyperglycemia. Recent estimations reported 8.4 million patients worldwide and a worrying increasing incidence. Psychological phenomena influencing the disease course represent important variables. Regrettably, more attention has been paid to Type 2 diabetes. The present contribution aimed at highlighting the role of alexithymia, intolerance to uncertainty and psychopathology in T1DM subjects. 150 participants aged between 11 and 18 years old suffering from T1DM were recruited. All patients fully completed the diagnostic protocol consisting of a sociodemographic questionnaire, Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, Intolerance to Uncertainty Scale-12 and SAFA scales. Significant correlations emerged between sociodemographic variables, alexithymia, intolerance to uncertainty and psychopathology. A significant and positive relationship between alexithymia and intolerance to uncertainty emerged. Alexithymia and intolerance to uncertainty predicted higher rates of psychopathology. The study highlighted the impact of alexithymia and intolerance to uncertainty on T1DM subjects. Emerged as positively intertwined and consistently associated with higher psychopathological presentations, alexithymia and intolerance to uncertainty deserve more attention. Highlighting their role strictly referring to T1DM would decrease the detected lack of knowledge.