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A Harvard Medical School Affiliate
Welcome to the Joslin Research Website
Joslin Investigator:
Dr. Alan Jacobson
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Behavioral & Mental Health Research
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Alan M Jacobson, MD
Investigator
Joslin Diabetes Center
Section Head: Behavioral and Mental Health Research
Joslin Diabetes Center
1/1/2001 - 10/1/2009
Adolescence, Mental Health and Diabetes
Through a 10-year study of adolescent patients and their families, Dr. Jacobson and his research team have found that a diagnosis of type 1 or insulin-dependent (juvenile) diabetes in childhood and adolescence does not necessarily mean that the youngsters will have disruptions in how they mature, nor does it mean they will develop personality or behavioral problems. These longterm follow-up studies have shown that children and adolescents demonstrate remarkable resilience in the face of diabetes. They also generally indicate that the stresses of having diabetes do not impede the formation of close, personal social relationships as patients pass through young adulthood.
The researchers have found some indications that people with diabetes may be susceptible to developing depressive disorders as adults and that age of onset is an important risk factor. The researchers have found that if type 1 diabetes develops before age 10, this is a particularly important indicator of who may develop depression, i.e., that those who develop diabetes before age 10 are more likely to develop depression.
The team's studies indicate that family factors have an important role in shaping an individual's adjustment to diabetes. A major disruption in family life, such as divorce and separation, decreased family cohesion and increased family conflict are all predictors of later adjustment and adherence problems for adolescents with diabetes. These risk factors appear to predict irregular clinic attendance, which itself predisposes patients to later development of diabetic retinopathy, the researchers have found. The investigators are now working on various psychological interventions to help patients adjust better to diabetes and improve medical outcomes.
Biographical Sketch:
Dr. Jacobson is Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at Joslin Diabetes Center and heads the Section on Behavioral and Mental Health Research in the Joslin Research Division and the Mental Health Unit in the Joslin Clinic. Dr. Jacobson is also Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He received his medical degree at the University of Chicago Medical School and completed residency training in psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Prior to coming to Joslin he was Unit Chief, Mental Health Department, Bunker Hill Health Center of MGH. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, such as election to the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research. He has served as scientific consultant to the National Institute of Mental Health, and has also been the principal investigator of several large research grants.
