• Maureen Monaghan, Marisa E Hilliard, Fran R Cogen, and Randi Streisand.
• Department of Psychology, Clinical Research Institute, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA. mmonagha@cnmc.org
• Patient Educ Couns. 2011 Feb 1;82(2):271-4.

ObjectiveTo assess initial efficacy and feasibility of a telephone-based supportive intervention for parents of young children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) designed to improve parental quality of life (QOL) through decreased parental stress, increased social support, and improved daily management of their child's diabetes.MethodsThe research team developed a brief program based on social cognitive theory for parents of young children with T1D. Twenty-four parents (88% mothers) of young children with T1D (ages 2-5 years) participated in a pilot study of the program and completed psychosocial questionnaires and a program satisfaction survey.ResultsPaired t-tests of pre- and post-intervention scores suggested a favorable within-group impact for the intervention group, as evidenced by decreased pediatric parenting stress and a trend for increased perceived social support. The program was well-received, with the majority of participants rating it as helpful and interesting.ConclusionAssisting parents with the unique challenges of diabetes management in young children through implementation of a structured intervention is promising.Practice ImplicationsA telephone-based intervention focused on child development, coping, and problem-solving skills has the potential to positively impact parents' QOL and may have implications for children's health.Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

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