Gender differences in emotional regulation in patients with diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic disease due to a failure in the regulation of blood sugar levels and is favored by a genetic and lifestyle predisposition. Of the three types (type 1 and 2, gestational), type 2 diabetes is the most common. Given its costly and painful treatment, its incurable and disabling nature, and its high mortality rate, one might think that people with this disease experience emotions more strongly and permanently. Consequently, these people may experience difficulties in regulating their emotions. The present study is part of the research conducted on individual differences in the use of emotional regulation strategies. Its objective is to study the influence of gender on emotion regulation difficulties in patients with diabetes. To this end, 198 volunteer patients (101 women and 97 men), ranging in age from 34 to 64 years, completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-F) by Dan-Glauser and Scherer (2013). The results indicate an effect of gender on emotional regulation and that this influence depends on the type of emotional regulation difficulties. In other words, there is a difference between men and women with diabetes in their ability to accept emotional responses, control themselves and engage in goal-directed behavior in a negative emotional context, and understand their emotions. Furthermore, the study reveals that the majority of men with diabetes, like women, are more frequently able to identify their own emotions but frequently have more difficulty implementing emotion regulation strategies in a negative emotional context.