Behavioral Family Therapy and Type One Diabetes

Effect of Behavioral Family Therapy on Glycemic Control in Children With Type One Diabetes

Behavioral family therapy, specifically focused on insuring support for the primary caregiver of a child with type one diabetes mellitus and healthy family dynamics, may improve the child's glycemic control as measured by hemoglobin A1c level (HbA1c).

The success or failure of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) management in children depends not only on access to care, diabetes technologies and diabetes education, but also on the abilities of the patient and his/her family to carry out complex demands. Recent data show that family dynamics play a critical role in determining glycemic control in pediatric patients with T1D. The investigators prior work (Loomba-Albrecht and Glaser, unpublished data) suggests that the strongest determinants of glycemic control are factors related to the primary caregiver's involvement in supportive relationships with others, either a spouse or other family members. This provides a potential therapeutic target to improve outcomes for children with T1D.

Inclusion Criteria:

• age 2 to 17 years
• newly diagnosed (within the past 12 weeks) with T1D
• seeking care at UC Davis

Exclusion Criteria:

- Families will be excluded if the child has severe underlying psychiatric, behavioral or medical conditions which could independently affect parental marital stress