Psychological care of children, adolescents 
and young adults with diabetes: ISPAD 
Clinical Practice Consensus Guidelines
The International Society for Pediatric and 
Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) recently 
published new clinical practice consensus 
guidelines on the psychological care of children, 
adolescents and young adults with diabetes (de Wit 
et al, 2022).Journal of 
Diabetes Nursing 27: JDN271
1
Comment 
"Continued parental 
involvement in diabetes 
care throughout 
adolescence and into 
young adulthood 
is beneficial, as 
premature transition of 
responsibility may be 
detrimental." intervention cannot be initiated during the visit 
when the problem is identified, a follow-up visit 
or referral to a mental health specialist should be 
scheduled during the visit. Cognitive functioning
Growing evidence documents that children and 
adolescents with type 1 diabetes are more at 
risk for pathophysiological brain changes and 
neurocognitive deficits (e.g. memory, learning 
and executive functioning) than peers without 
diabetes. Although limited, research in youth with 
type 2 diabetes also shows deficits in memory and 
processing speed compared with youth without 
diabetes matched by obesity status. Children with 
early onset of type 1 diabetes (aged