Communication and Coping: Addressing Mothers' Needs to Improve Outcomes in Adolescents with T1D

Summary: The impact of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), COVID-19, and efforts to contain and mitigate theeffects of the virus on health and psychosocial outcomes is unknown. It is likely to be more severe inpopulations already at risk for adverse behavioral health outcomes, increasing problems among alreadydistressed families managing type 1 diabetes (T1D). Our ongoing randomized clinical trial (R01DK11545,Communication and Coping: Addressing Mothers' Needs to Improve Outcomes in Adolescents with Type 1Diabetes) offers a unique opportunity to study the effects of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and socialdistancing. We propose to build on the existing project by leveraging our current sample to collect moredetailed information about the impact of COVID-19 and social distancing requirements on adolescents'diabetes management and maternal stress and coping. We will achieve these aims by adding survey itemsto assess the impact of COVID-19 and conducting qualitative interviews with mother-adolescent dyads who areexperiencing low, moderate, and high impact of COVID. By following 40 dyads over time, we will learn hownew routines and health behaviors are sustained or discontinued when social distancing requirements arereduced. In addition, we will assess how mothers' experiences of COVID-19 affect their coping, social support,and distress. The study will be conducted by a multidisciplinary team, consisting of Sarah Jaser, PhD, apediatric psychologist, and two collaborators: Lindsay Mayberry, PhD, a family and community psychologistwho uses mixed methods to study family support in diabetes, and Laurie Novak, PhD, a medical healthanthropologist with expertise in assessing the systems used in managing chronic health conditions and howthey are maintained or disrupted by disasters. The proposed study has the potential to inform ourunderstanding of how COVID-19 and social distancing influences maternal distress and family diabetesmanagement, which has important clinical and research implications. Results from this study may be used topromote the most adaptive coping and parenting strategies during times of uncertainty.