Adolescents developing life skills for managing type 1 diabetes: a qualitative, realistic evaluation of a guided self‐determination‐youth intervention

Abstract

To explore and illustrate how the Guided Self-Determination-Youth method influences the development of life skills in adolescents with type 1 diabetes supported by their parents and healthcare providers. Evidence-based methods that accomplish constructive cooperation between adolescents with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes, their parents and healthcare providers are needed. We adjusted an adult life skills intervention comprising reflection sheets and advanced communication for use by adolescent-parent-professional triads in outpatient visits. A qualitative realistic evaluation design comprising eight context-mechanism-outcome configurations directed the analysis of the Guided Self-Determination-Youth's influence on adolescent-parent-professional triads to evaluate what worked for whom, how and in what circumstances. Thirteen adolescents aged 13-18 years diagnosed with type 1 diabetes for ≥1 year and having poor glycaemic control participated together with 17 parents and eight healthcare providers. Data were collected from December 2009-March 2012 and consisted of digitally recorded outpatient Guide Self-Determination-Youth visits collected during the intervention period (11·5-24·5 months) and semi-structured interviews at 6-month follow-up. Emerging life skills in adolescents were identified as: (1) developing new relatedness with healthcare providers and parents; (2) becoming decision makers in their own lives with diabetes; and (3) growing personally. Reflection sheets combined with healthcare providers' advanced communication were central to promoting mutual problem-solving. A life skills approach turned outpatient visits into person-specific visits with improved cooperation patterns in the triads. Combining reflection sheets and advanced communication skills supported adolescents in beginning a process of developing life skills.