The Self-Management of Diabetes
Diabetes is a metabolic disease that affects how the body uses blood sugar, or glucose, for energy. Adolescents with diabetes should try to control their blood sugar, because blood sugar levels that are high or very low can be dangerous to an individual’s health.
Managing diabetes can be difficult for adolescents, as they cannot produce or respond to insulin, which is often used to manage diabetes. Managing diabetes also is difficult for adolescents because they may be encountering many new experiences and learning to juggle many adult responsibilities.
There have been many advances and scientific breakthroughs, such as oral medications and insulin pens; yet, treatment still can be overwhelming (Hood, Huestis, Maher, Butler, Volkening, & Laffel, 2006; Schreiner, Brow, & Phillips, 2000).
While families may try to help adolescents manage their diabetes, there often is a need for independence at this age.
How do you determine the appropriate age for an adolescent to self-manage his or her diabetes?
How might families assist in the self-management of diabetes?
With these thoughts in mind:
Post by Day 4 a brief description of the age in which you consider it appropriate for adolescents to begin self-management of their diabetes and explain why. Then, explain two potential barriers to adolescents managing their diabetes. Finally, describe one behavioral strategy a family may use to promote the self-management of diabetes in an adolescent and explain why it might be effective. Support your responses with the Learning Resources and other literature.
READINGS
- Wysocki, T., Buckloh, L. M., & Greco, P. (2009). The psychological context of diabetes mellitus in youths. In M. C. Roberts & R. G. Steele (Eds.), Handbook of pediatric psychology (4th ed., pp. 287–302). New York, NY: Guilford.
- Carr, A. (1999). Somatic problems. In Handbook of child and adolescent clinical psychology: A contextual approach (pp. 550–556). New York, NY: Routledge.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
- Clark, C. D. (2003). Juvenile diabetes. In In sickness and in play: Children coping with chronic illness (pp. 6–42). New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
- Drotar, D., Witherspoon, D. O., & Zebracki, K. (2006). Psychological interventions: Diabetes. In Psychological interventions in childhood chronic illness (pp.139–155). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Drotar, D., Witherspoon, D. O., & Zebracki, K., Psychological interventions in childhood chronic illness. Copyright 2006 American Psychological Association Books. Used with permission from American Psychological Association via the Copyright Clearance Center.
- Curtis-Tyler, K. (2011). Levers & barriers to patient-centered care with children: Findings from a synthesis of studies of the experiences of children living with type 1 diabetes or asthma. Child: Care, Health and Development, 37(4), 540–550.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
- Hampson, S. E., Skinner, T. C., Hart, J., Storey, L., Gage, H., Foxcroft, D., & … McEvilly, E. A. (2000). Behavioral interventions with adolescents with type 1 diabetes: How effective are they? Diabetes Care, 23(9), 1416–1422.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
- Hema, D. A., Roper, S. O., Nehring, J. W., Call, A., Mandleco, B. L., & Dyches, T. T. (2009). Daily stressors and coping responses of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Child: Care, Health and Development, 35(3), 330–339.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
- Roper, S. O., Call, A., Leishman, J., Ratcliffe, G. C., Mandleco, B. L., Dyches, T. T., & Marshall, E. S. (2009). Type 1 diabetes: Children and adolescents’ knowledge and questions. Journal of Advance Nursing, 65(8), 1705–1714.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
- Reynolds, K. A., & Helgeson, V. S. (2011). Children with diabetes compared to peers: Depressed? Distress?: A meta-analytic review. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 42(1), 29–41.
Children with diabetes compared to peers: Depressed? Distress?: A meta-analytic review by Reynolds, K. A., & Helgeson, V. S., in Annals of Behavioral Medicine, Vol. 42/Issue 1. Copyright [Copyright Year] by Springer-Verlag New York, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Springer-Verlag New York, Inc. via the Copyright Clearance Center.
- Salamon, K. S., Hains, A. A., Fleischman, K. M., Davies, W. H., & Kichler, J. (2010). Improving adherence in social situations for adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM): A pilot study. Primary Care Diabetes, 4(1), 47–55.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
- Skinner, T. C., John, M., & Hampson, S. E. (2000). Social support and personal models of diabetes as predictors of self-care and well-being: A longitudinal study of adolescents with diabetes. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 25(4), 257–267.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
- Vesco, A. T., Anderson, B. J., Laffel, L. M., Dolan, L. M., Ingerski, L. M., & Hood, K. K. (2010). Responsibility sharing between adolescents with type 1 diabetes and their caregivers: Importance of adolescent perceptions on diabetes management and control. Journal of pediatric psychology, 35(10), 1168–1177.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
- Wysocki, T., Harris, M. A., Buckloh, L. M., Mertlich, D., Lochrie, A. S., Taylor, A., Sadler, M., & White, N. H. (2008). Randomized, controlled trial of behavioral family systems therapy for diabetes: Maintenance and generalization of effects on parent-adolescent communication. Behavior Therapy, 39(1), 33–46.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
- Ziaian, T., Sawyer, M. G., Reynolds, K. E., Carbone, J. A., Clark, J. J., Baghurst, P. A., & …French, D. J. (2006). Treatment burden and health-related quality of life of children with diabetes, cystic fibrosis and asthma. Journal of Pediatrics and Child Health, 42(10), 596–600.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.