Mothers' perceptions of anxiety of their diabetic children

Within the theoretical framework of family dynamics, the anxiety levels expressed by 20 diabetic children, the level of anxiety ascribed to them by their mothers, and the anxiety levels of 20 healthy children were studied. The diabetic children did not form an emotionally deviant group in terms of their expressed anxiety, although their mothers viewed them as significantly more anxious than they judged themselves. The mothers' own anxiety was the best predictor of their perceptions of their children's anxiety. The results are discussed in terms of their effects on communication and coping in the families.