Chronic disease and perceived developmental progression in adolescence

This study examined whether chronic illness causes delays in adolescents' perceived developmental status. Longitudinal data were obtained from 86 adolescents afflicted with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and 103 healthy adolescents. The adolescents annually completed a questionnaire pertaining to their current developmental status and their desired future developmental status in 11 age-specific developmental tasks. Health status and physical maturity were also determined. In the first year of the study, the diabetics reported delays compared with their healthy peers in some developmental tasks, particularly physical maturity and an independent lifestyle. However, the overall developmental progression perceived by chronically ill adolescents was impressive. The difficulty of balancing normative development with the demands of chronic illness is discussed.