Abstract
Little is known about the psychosocial experiences and care needs of young children under the age of 7 years who have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. To address this knowledge gap, we examine children's psychosocial care needs through the lens of child-centred care and the framework of Zone of Proximal Development. To explore current care practices for young children with diabetes and identify aspects of child-centred care already successfully integrated into current practice. Individual face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 Healthcare Professionals, representing 11 of 17 paediatric diabetes clinics in Denmark. Our data provided valuable insights into existing child-centred practices. Our analysis identified practices covering four main themes: 1. Accommodating immediate emotional needs, 2. Putting children before diabetes, 3. Encouraging meaningful participation, 4. Playful communication. Healthcare Professionals provided child-centred care, largely through play-based approaches that make diabetes care meaningful and relevant. Such practices provide the scaffolding necessary to enable young children to gradually engage, comprehend and participate in their own care.
Highlights
Little is known about the psychosocial experiences and care needs of young children under the age of 7 years who have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes
Analysing our data in a developmental perspective using the theory of Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) proved valuable in understanding the care needs of young children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes
Our findings are consistent with research indicating that even young children’s levels of understanding, knowledge, and skill gained from their experience of living with diabetes develop through experience rather than as a function of age (19)
Summary
Little is known about the psychosocial experiences and care needs of young children under the age of 7 years who have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. To address this knowledge gap, we examine children’s psychosocial care needs through the lens of child-centred care and the framework of Zone of Proximal Development. Discussion: Healthcare Professionals provided child-centred care, largely through playbased approaches that make diabetes care meaningful and relevant. Such practices provide the scaffolding necessary to enable young children to gradually engage, comprehend and participate in their own care. Viewing the psychological care of children through a child-centred lens is needed to ensure that guidelines represent both a child perspective and the child’s insider perspective (10)
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