Gender Differences in the Effect of the Subjective Experience of Diabetes and Sense of Control on Distress

Abstract

A unique feature of diabetes is the extent to which individuals must engage in self-management in order to successfully cope with their condition. Because of the role of self-regulation in diabetic care, subjective sense of control may be a particularly salient psycho-social resource among diabetic people. We examine the influence on distress of mastery, and the subjective experience of diabetes, measured as interference, dissatisfaction, andembarrassment. We also examine gender differences in the influence of these subjective experiences on diabetic people’s distress. We find that gender differences in distress are explained by the greater salience for women’s distress of role-related sense of control, measured as how much diabetes interferes with the performance of roles, and general sense of control, measured as mastery. Results are discussed in terms of gender differences in the experience of roles, and in terms of the implications of results for the management of chronic conditions requiring self-care.