Teenagers with type 1 diabetes—a phenomenological study of the transition towards autonomy in self-management
Section snippets
What is already known about the topic?
- •
The literature defines transition as a life span development in which events produce disequilibrium as well as acquisition of new skills and behaviours.
- •
Self-management among teenagers is related to age and the cognitive maturity required to handle self-management. Moreover, the transference of responsibility from parents to teenagers involves shared decision-making.
- •
Studies support the benefits of empowerment education in diabetes care, showing that individuals achieve outcomes that are both
What this paper adds
- •
A nuanced and deepened understanding of the transition towards autonomy in self-management among teenagers with type 1 diabetes.
- •
The stage at which teenagers hover between separating from parents and retaining parental support may result in unclear responsibility in self-management activities; this lack of clarity may complicate the autonomy process.
- •
Experiential knowledge and individually adjusted responsibility aids the transition towards autonomy.
The study
The aim of the study was to elucidate lived experiences, focusing on the transition towards autonomy in diabetes self-management among teenagers with type 1 diabetes.
Discussion
The strength of the present study is that it elucidates individual aspects that contribute to a nuanced and deepened understanding of teenagers’ transition towards autonomy in self-management. In phenomenology, the participant is pivotal and the researcher's subjective, intuitive reflection is crucial. The researcher is both an interdependent human being and part of the informant's life world. Because interpretation of the data determines the findings, it may be that the researcher's
Conclusion
The transition towards autonomy in self-management among teenagers with type 1 diabetes was shown to be complex. Findings from the present study show that being allowed to make one's own choices and practice decision-making aids in this transition. Realistic opportunities for a stable foundation of self-management include having the knowledge required to practice and handle different situations.
Acknowledgement
Financial support was provided by The Vardal Foundation—for Health Care Sciences and Allergy Research, The Swedish Diabetes Federation and Federation of European Nurses in Diabetes (FEND). Thanks to diabetes specialist nurse Gunnel Viklund who was helpful in assembling the informants and collecting the background data for the 32 teenagers.
References (23)
- et al.
A developmental perspective on the challenges of diabetes education and care during the young adult period
Patient Education and Counseling
(2004) - et al.
Family conflict adherence and glycaemic control in youth with short duration Type 1 diabetes
Diabetes Medicine
(2002) Grundläggande vårdetik—teori och praktik (Fundamental nursing-etichs-theory and practical)
(1996)- et al.
The lived experience of adolescent females with type 1 diabetes
Diabetes Education
(2004) The Life Cycle Completed, A Review
(1982)Ungdomens identitskriser (Identity, Youth and Crisis)
(1988)The Vancouver school of doing phenomenology
- et al.
Parent's and Adolescent's perceptions of helpful and nonhelpful support for adolescent's assumption of diabetes management responsibility
Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing
(2001) Logical Investigations
(1900/179)- et al.
Diabetes: an adolescent's perspective
Journal of Advanced Nursing
(1995)
Adolescent's perceptions of physicians, nurses, parents and friends: help or hindrance in compliance with diabetes self-care
Journal of Advanced Nursing
Cited by (98)
Psychological separation, health locus of control, and transition readiness in adolescents and young adults with type I diabetes
2024, Journal of Pediatric NursingCOVID-stressed schools struggled to teach mathematics
2024, Acta PsychologicaEmotional Wellbeing in Adolescents Living With Chronic Conditions: A Metasynthesis of the Qualitative Literature
2022, Journal of Adolescent HealthCitation Excerpt :Specifically, three types of positive relationships integral to EW in ALWCC are family, peer, and healthcare provider (HCP) relationships. Beyond a mere association with EW in this population, participants noted positive relationships with family and peers to have an affirmative causal effect on EW [35,38,40–43,45]. For example, participants described positive relationships with family as “makes me feel good”, and with friends as a “source of joy” [38].
Teen and parental perspectives regarding transition of care in type 1 diabetes
2020, Children and Youth Services ReviewCitation Excerpt :We posit that a lack of engagement for this sample was possibly due to teens being diagnosed in their early teen years, as opposed to early childhood. Being diagnosed later puts more onus of management on teens earlier without the benefit of years of T1D education for them or their parents (Karlsson, Arman, & Wikblad, 2008). Additionally, the parents may not feel the need to engage, perceiving that their teen is mature enough to handle the T1D regimen alone, when this is clearly not the case (Reed-Knight, Blount, & Gilleland, 2014).
Adolescents’ Experiences of Transition to Self-Management of Type 1 Diabetes: Systematic Review and Future Directions
2023, Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care