The Challenges Families Face

Extreme psychological pressure: 74% of parents suffer from depressive symptoms after a child receives a diabetes diagnosis (Whittemore, 2012)

Clinical anxiety: Up to one in three parents (22–33%) of children with diabetes or epilepsy suffer from clinically significant anxiety (Pinquart & Shen, 2011)

Powerlessness in the care of others: The greatest stress factor is the fear of emergency situations when the child is at school or with others who may not know how to help (Marklund, 2006)

High risk of illness: Children with chronic diagnoses have a 2–3 times higher risk of mental health issues compared to their healthy peers (Pinquart & Shen, 2011)

Social isolation: One in four children (25%) with food allergies has experienced social isolation or been excluded from group activities (Bollinger, 2006)

Limited freedom: A child's independence and quality of life are often diminished because the adults around them are afraid to act in an emergency (Särnblad., 2019).