Home Diabetes and Endocrinology Therapy Program Improves Teens’ Diabetes, Depression

Therapy Program Improves Teens’ Diabetes, Depression

Family program is effective whether delivered in clinic or via videoconferencing

WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The evidence-based family therapy program Behavioral Family Systems Therapy for Diabetes (BFST-D) improves both diabetes health outcomes and depressive symptoms among adolescents with type 1 diabetes, according to a study published online May 26 in Diabetes Care.

Andrew R. Riley, Ph.D., from the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, and colleagues randomized adolescents with depressive symptoms and type 1 diabetes in suboptimal glycemic control (HbA1c ≥9 percent [75 mmol/mol]) to participate in BFST-D either via Internet videoconferencing or in person. Given no significant differences between the groups in the randomized controlled trial, groups were collapsed into a within-group prepost design for secondary analyses.

The researchers found that there were significant improvements in glycemic control, depressive symptoms, and family functioning from pre- to post-treatment. Within-subject mediation analysis demonstrated that improvements in depressive symptoms were partially mediated by improvements in parent-youth conflict. Yet family process changes did not mediate diabetes health outcomes.

“In addition to improving treatment adherence and glycemic control, BFST-D has collateral benefits on depressive symptoms,” the authors write.

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