ABSTRACT Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of a narrative therapy group approach for adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Design: The study employed a between-group, repeated measure design comparing a narrative therapy group intervention to a control group who received treatment-as-usual. Methods: 75 adolescents aged between 12 and 15 years old who had been identified as having poorly controlled T1D (HbA1c > 8%), were invited to participate in a one-off narrative therapy group. A total of eight individuals agreed to take part and were randomly allocated to either the intervention group (n=4) or treatment-as-usual (n=4). Information on the acceptability of this approach was gathered from follow-up interviews three months after attendance at the group. Outcome measures included HbA1c, diabetes-related distress and self-efficacy. Results: The adolescents who did attend the intervention group reported it to have been a beneficial experience which had helped them to feel less isolated in their experience of living with diabetes. Additionally, some participants reported that the group had provided them with a ‘wake-up’ call and had encouraged them to re-think the way they manage their condition. However, no significant changes in HbA1c, diabetes-related distress or self-efficacy were observed in either the intervention or the control group at three month follow-up. Conclusions: This novel group approach was considered to be an acceptable adjunct to treatment-as-usual. All adolescents who attended the group reported that they would recommend it to other young people with T1D. A larger scaled study would be required in order to determine whether this approach can improve glycaemic control and psychosocial outcomes in an adolescent population.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:560004 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Watt, Vanessa J. |
| Publisher | University of Glasgow |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://theses.gla.ac.uk/3607/ |
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