Mental health and parenting stress in mothers of children with diabetes treated in a patient-centred medical home

Background Mothers of children with diabetes are at-risk for experiencing parenting stress and diminished mental/emotional health. To the best of our knowledge, no studies to date have examined whether there are differences in these outcomes between mothers whose diabetic child is managed in a patient-centred medical home or not. Objective The objective of the present study was to assess whether there were differences in mental health and parenting stress among mothers whose diabetic child was managed in a patient-centred medical home or not. Methods Two hundred fifty-three mothers of children with diabetes (mean age = 12.50 years; SD = 3.90) from the 2011–2012 National Survey of Children’s Health were included in this study. Hierarchical multiple regression was conducted to determine the amount of variance that having a patient-centred medical home contributed to maternal emotional/mental health and parenting stress. Results After controlling for child sex, age, race/ethnicity and family poverty level, patient-centred medical home status was associated with better mental health for mothers and less parenting stress. Effective care coordination was the only subcomponent of the patient-centred medical home that significantly contributed to the variance in mother’s mental/emotional health and parenting stress. Conclusions Receiving care in a patient-centred medical home, particularly the care coordination component, may mitigate some of the negative maternal effects of managing a child’s diabetes.