Tremolada, M.; Cusinato, M.; D’Agnillo, A.; Negri, A.; Righetto, E.; Moretti, C. “One and a Half Years of Things We Could Have Done”: Multi-Method Analysis of the Narratives of Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health2023, 20, 2620.
Tremolada, M.; Cusinato, M.; D’Agnillo, A.; Negri, A.; Righetto, E.; Moretti, C. “One and a Half Years of Things We Could Have Done”: Multi-Method Analysis of the Narratives of Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 2620.
Tremolada, M.; Cusinato, M.; D’Agnillo, A.; Negri, A.; Righetto, E.; Moretti, C. “One and a Half Years of Things We Could Have Done”: Multi-Method Analysis of the Narratives of Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health2023, 20, 2620.
Tremolada, M.; Cusinato, M.; D’Agnillo, A.; Negri, A.; Righetto, E.; Moretti, C. “One and a Half Years of Things We Could Have Done”: Multi-Method Analysis of the Narratives of Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 2620.
Abstract
Background: The global prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms in adolescents has increased considerably during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health problems may compromise glycemic control in young people with type 1 diabetes; however, evidence of improved glycemic control in adolescents with T1D appeared early during the pandemic. This qualitative study aimed to provide a more in-depth understanding of how the COVID-19 pandemic affected adolescents with type 1 diabetes routines, experiences, T1D management, behaviors, and mental health. Methods: 24 adolescents, aged 15-18 years, with DM1, joined the discussion of focus groups in the context of the summer camp for diabetes. Word frequency and thematic analysis were conducted on adolescents’ narratives. Results: The word Frequency Analysis identified 'friends', 'family', and 'home' as the most frequent terms. Seven themes were identified: (1) COVID-19 and T1D; (2) emotional reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic; (3) changes in daily life; (4) feelings of loss; (5) coping with the COVID-19 pandemic; (6) the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity; (7) return to (new) normality. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic may have represented a more stressful condition for adolescents with DM1, facing additional challenges compared to their healthy peers. The results offer directions to the diabetes care team for a customized intervention while the consequences of the pandemic on adolescents’ health continue.
Keywords
Type 1 diabetes; mental-health; COVID-19; adolescents; qualitative research; narratives; NVivo
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Endocrinology and Metabolism
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
,
*
,
,
,
,
