Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes: A Case Series.

Area of Science:

• Adolescent health
• Mental health interventions
• Diabetes management

Background:

• Adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are at risk for elevated negative affect.
• Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) may offer effective support for this population.
• Historically marginalized groups often face greater burdens impacting health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess individual changes in negative affect, mindfulness, and diabetes outcomes after an MBI in adolescents with T1D.
• To explore the utility of MBI in historically marginalized adolescent populations with T1D.
• To examine changes in depression, anxiety, stress, diabetes distress, self-management, and HbA1c.

Main Methods:

• A case series design was used, selecting participants from a pilot randomized controlled trial of an MBI.
• Two adolescent girls with T1D and elevated negative affect, from historically marginalized backgrounds, participated.
• Participants engaged in a 6-7 session virtual group MBI and completed assessments at baseline, post-intervention, and three months.

Main Results:

• Both participants showed improvements in depression, anxiety, stress, mindfulness, and diabetes self-management.
• Valerie, one participant, also demonstrated slight improvements in HbA1c and disordered eating.
• Jayla, the other participant, did not show improvements in HbA1c or disordered eating.

Conclusions:

• Mindfulness-based interventions show potential for adolescents with T1D experiencing negative affect.
• MBI may be particularly beneficial for adolescents facing social determinants of health challenges.
• This case series underscores the value of tailored MBI for diverse adolescent populations with T1D.