Emerging adulthood is a distinct developmental stage spanning from the late teens through the twenties (roughly ages 18 to 30), characterized by identity exploration, instability, self-focus, and a feeling of being "in-between" adolescence and full adulthood. Our research primarily focuses on this developmental stage.
Diabetes distress is the emotional and psychological burden caused by living with diabetes and the relentless demands of its self-management. All people living with type 1 diabetes experience diabetes distress. However, when diabetes distress is elevated, it can make it challenging to complete all the daily self-management tasks of diabetes.
Financial toxicity related to diabetes refers to the financial distress, debt, and reduced quality of life caused by the high out-of-pocket costs of managing the disease. It can result in the rationing of essential medications, like insulin, which can lead to worse health outcomes. Financial toxicity can also result in cost coping strategies, which are behaviors that emerging adults may use to be able to afford the necessary supplies to manage their diabetes.
Psychometric measures are standardized, scientific tools used to objectively quantify latent traits that cannot be directly observed. We use psychometric measurement in our research to quantify the lived experience of emerging adults with type 1 diabetes.