Indirect health-related social control and psychological functioning in Singaporeans with diabetes

We examined indirect health-related social control and the underlying mechanisms of its association with psychological functioning in patients with type 2 diabetes. Singaporean late middle-aged and older adults (N = 199) completed questionnaires measuring indirect social control, self-efficacy, internal diabetes locus of control, and psychological functioning. We used a bootstrapping approach and structural equation modeling to analyze the data. Results showed that indirect social control was associated with diabetes-related emotional distress and depressive symptoms via the mediator of internal diabetes locus of control, but self-efficacy did not mediate this relationship. More specifically, indirect social control was positively associated with higher internal diabetes locus of control, which, in turn, had a negative impact on diabetes-related emotional distress and depressive symptoms.