The Effect of Virtual Coping Skills Training on Self-efficacy of Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes During COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown: A Pilot Study

Type 1 diabetes patients may find it difficult to cope with diabetes-related stress, which can be improved by accessible interventions.

The goal of this study was to determine whether coping skill training could increase self-efficacy among adolescents with type 1 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

 This study was conducted as a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The study population was adolescents diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at Tehran Diabetes Center during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown from June to August 2021. Sixteen adolescents with type 1 diabetes were selected using a purposeful sampling method. The participants were divided into experimental (n=9) and control groups (n=7). The measurement tool was the General Self-Efficacy Scale. A total of eight sessions of coping skill training took place for the experimental group; no intervention was performed for the control group. A multivariate analysis of covariance was used to analyze the data. Statistical analysis was performed utilizing SPSS, Version 23.

There was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in terms of age sex, and baseline score of self-efficacy. In the posttest, self-efficacy score significantly improved in the intervention (71.52, SD=13.86) compared to the control group (48.13, SD=12.96) (F=18.97, P<0.001, η2=0.59).

According to this study, adolescents with type 1 diabetes who received training in coping skills showed increased self-efficacy. As a result, it can be concluded that adolescents with type 1 diabetes need coping skills training interventions, including self-management support.