Psychological Adaptation, Illness Identity, and Quality of Life Among Young Adults Living With Type 1 Diabetes: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Keywords:
Type 1 Diabetes, Young Adults, Psychological Adaptation, Illness Identity, Quality of Life, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Qualitative ResearchAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of psychological adaptation, illness identity, and quality of life among young adults living with type 1 diabetes in Canada.
Methods and Materials: This qualitative study was conducted using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Participants included 16 young adults aged 18 to 30 years living with type 1 diabetes in Canada, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a demographic and clinical information form and in-depth semi-structured interviews. Interviews explored participants’ experiences of diabetes management, emotional adjustment, identity formation, disclosure, social participation, autonomy, relationships, and perceived quality of life. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, anonymized, and analyzed through repeated reading, exploratory noting, development of emergent themes, idiographic case analysis, and cross-case thematic integration. Trustworthiness was supported through reflexive memo-writing, research team review, audit trail documentation, and careful grounding of themes in participants’ narratives.
Findings: The interpretative analysis generated five superordinate themes: psychological adaptation as an ongoing negotiation, illness identity as a contested part of the self, quality of life as conditional freedom, independence and dependence in young adulthood, and future orientation under chronic uncertainty. Findings indicated that adaptation was not experienced as a completed state, but as a continuous process of emotional regulation, practical self-management, and tolerance of uncertainty. Illness identity was shaped by the tension between rejecting diabetes as a total definition of the self and integrating it into personal biography. Quality of life was interpreted as the capacity to participate meaningfully in life while maintaining safety, autonomy, and relational understanding.
Conclusion: Young adults with type 1 diabetes experience adaptation, identity, and quality of life as dynamically interconnected processes shaped by developmental transitions, social contexts, healthcare experiences, and future concerns. Diabetes care for this population should therefore address not only biomedical management, but also emotional burden, identity negotiation, autonomy, disclosure, and meaningful participation in everyday life.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Keisuke Mori (Author); Christopher Lee
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