Communal coping in type 1 diabetes: Randomized trial of a couple-focused intervention

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Medicine
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Observational studies link communal coping to better relationship and health outcomes in chronic disease.
• Empirical testing of communal coping interventions for chronic disease management is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and test a couples' intervention for adults with type 1 diabetes based on communal coping.
• To assess the intervention's impact on self-care behavior, diabetes distress, relationship quality, and other health outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 80 adults with type 1 diabetes and their partners.
• Randomly assigned participants to a single-session communal coping intervention or usual care.
• Assessed outcomes at baseline and 6 weeks, including daily diaries.

Main Results:

• The intervention successfully enhanced perceptions of communal coping for both individuals with type 1 diabetes and their partners.
• No significant effects were observed on primary or secondary outcomes, except for increased time in target glucose range.
• Daily diary reports indicated an improvement in relationship quality.

Conclusions:

• The communal coping intervention increased perceptions of shared support and improved relationship quality.
• Further research is needed to understand the conceptual and methodological factors influencing intervention effectiveness for type 1 diabetes management.