It has been widely recognized that DM can result in psychological, social and physical problems. Parents of children with DM are likely to be highly distressed.

The study of the relationship between mood status of children with type I DM and some factors that might be implicated in its determination.

To evaluate the presence and degree of depression in a sample of children with type I diabetes and how much it might be affected by their metabolic control and the level of their parents’ stress.

Ninety-three children were diagnosed with DM type I. They were clinically interviewed and examined. They went through Childhood Depression Rating Scale (CDI), Family Attitudes Questionnaire and HbA1c% assessment. An age and sex matched control group was taken.

The age range of diabetic children was 7–18 and two thirds of them were females. Thirty-five patients (37.6%) were depressed according to CDI results. Diabetic children had significantly higher CDI total score and total parenting stress index (PSI) compared to the control group. CDI total score was positively and significantly correlated with indicators of poor diabetes control (frequency of DKA and HbA1C%) and with duration of diabetic illness. CDI total score was also positively and significantly correlated with PSI score.

Depression was highly present in this sample of diabetic children. The degree of their mood impairment was positively correlated with duration of diabetic illness, indicators of poor metabolic control of DM and to the level of their parents’ stress.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.