Successful use of family-based therapy interventions for uncontrolled type 1 diabetes in an adolescent

Abstract

Adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) are at increased risk for poor treatment adherence and glycaemic lability. Parental involvement in a youth's diabetes regimen is associated with better outcomes, yet supported treatments may be inaccessible due to limited community resources and financial constraints. Furthermore, existing interventions emphasise a collaborative effort between family members, which may not be effective with youth with particular vulnerabilities. Similarities between T1DM and anorexia nervosa prompted our use of modified family‐based therapy (FBT) with a 16‐year‐old male with poor glycaemic control. FBT‐guided strategies were brief and implemented by a family medicine physician at routine visits. Medical symptoms dramatically improved over a four‐month period, demonstrating that FBT tailored to T1DM warrants further investigation for youth with poor treatment adherence. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons.

School‐aged children with type 1 diabetes benefit more from a coping skills training program than adolescents in China: 12‐month outcomes of a randomized clinical trial

“…As previously mentioned, program activities of this CST version were more engaging for school‐aged children than for adolescents despite our efforts to have program interactive components relevant to youth with type 1 diabetes of different ages. Adolescents with type 1 diabetes may benefit more from a program specific to their diabetes‐related challenges and may also prefer a program that incorporates technology or social media . More formative research involving adolescents with type 1 diabetes and parents in China is needed.…”