1795-PUB: Teaming Up for T1D with Telehealth—An Initial Look at Youth and Family Coping following a New T1D Diagnosis

Abstract

Purpose: A diagnosis of T1D is often associated with increased youth and parental distress as families learn to manage complex daily diabetes tasks and navigate glycemic fluctuations. This study sought to capture the early experiences of families following initial diagnosis, specifically focusing on its psychosocial impact. Method: Eight children (8-12; M=9.0; SD=1.3), 12 teenagers (13-17; M=14.7; SD=1.9) with T1D and 31 parents of youth ages 3-17 diagnosed with T1D were surveyed two weeks following diagnosis as part of a larger pilot of a prevention intervention to support families during the first-year post diagnosis. Additionally, electronic medical records were reviewed 3 months post diagnosis to evaluate health care utilization and medical outcomes. Results: Two weeks post T1D diagnosis, some parents (38.7%) and youth (18.8%) reported elevated symptoms of depression. Similarly, 36.7% of parents and 12.5% of youth reported elevated symptoms of anxiety. Fewer youth (11.8%) and parents (11.1%) endorsed elevated diabetes distress at two weeks post-diagnosis. At 3 months, mean A1c was 7.5% (SD = 1.4) and mean time in range was 67% (SD = 21.8). No baseline variables were correlated with A1c at 3 months post-diagnosis; however, youth report of family conflict was negatively correlated with time in range (r = -.761; p <.01). At 3 months following diagnosis, nearly all (92.6%) youth were using CGM, while few (7.7%) were using insulin pumps. Discussion: This study examined the experiences of youth and their parents following a T1D diagnosis, along with 3-month post diagnosis clinical outcomes. Many parents experience elevated symptoms of depression and anxiety two weeks following diagnosis. Few baseline variables correlated with clinical outcomes at three months following diagnosis. Future studies should examine family experiences in the first year following diagnosis, as well as interventions that promote positive coping among youth and their parents. Disclosure K.R.Howard: Stock/Shareholder; Abbott, AbbVie Inc. N.W.Smith: None. K.P.Garza: None. J.Weissberg-benchell: Advisory Panel; Beta Bionics, Inc., Research Support; Beta Bionics, Inc. M.Feldman: None. Funding JDRF (2-SRA-2020-985-S-B)