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Teaching teens to cope: coping skills training for adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
M Davidson1, E A Boland, M Grey
1Yale University School of Nursing, New Haven, CT 06536-0740, USA. maryanne.davidson@yale.edu
Purpose:
To review the potential use and application of coping-skills training in teaching adolescents effective ways of managing the stressors related to living with diabetes mellitus.
Population:
Adolescents ages 13 to 20 with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus who are participating in the research project, "Nursing Intervention to Implement DCCT Therapy in Youth" at Yale University School of Nursing.
Conclusions:
Teaching adolescents with diabetes mellitus to use appropriate coping skills may help them cope with the day-to-day management of the illness and aid in long-term adaptation.
Practice Implications:
Research has suggested that the use of effective coping skills may aid in healthy long-term adaptation to diabetes mellitus. Thus, nurses caring for adolescents with this illness should teach and be role models for these effective coping strategies.