Diabetes Program Benefits Teens

Teenagers with badly controlled type 1 diabetesmay benefit from a home-based psychotherapyprogram. For the study, 127 adolescents were randomlyassigned to standard medical care only orto standard medical care plus 6 months of interventionfocusing on problems associated withadherence to diabetes treatment. The behavioralintervention group was successful in improvingdiabetes control. The researchers noted that averagelong-term blood sugar improved to a point thatwas both statistically and clinically meaningful.

"Our study showed that families were willing toreceive behavioral treatment when it was providedin their home, and that such intensive behavioralinterventions can result in improved outcomes,"said researcher Deborah A. Ellis, PhD. (The findingswere reported in Diabetes Care, July 2005.)