Children who are being diagnosed for diabetes type 2 may have increased risk of suffering from psychiatric illness at the onset of the disease.
A study done by the researchers of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have shown that among the children who are newly diagnosed for diabetes type 2 disease, two out of five of them have showed tendencies of being afflicted by psychiatric illness like depression, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, autism, developmental delay etc.Researchers for the study feel that this could mean that incidence of diabetes type 2 disease increases the chances of incidence of mental illness and vice versa.
Diabetes type 2 happens when body cannot use its own insulin to control blood sugar. As this happens the body becomes unable to produce enough insulin to overcome insulin resistance and keep up to the need of the body.
The study shows that children suffering from diabetes should be compulsorily screened for mental illnesses in order to treat them early. Also children who have been diagnosed with mental illnesses and developmental problems must be screened for incidence of diabetes type 2 disease.
Reference: Pediatric Diabetes, June 2005
