Project Overview

Self-compassion is a practice that involves acting the same way towards yourself as you would with friends and loved ones, and that you are kind and understanding towards yourself. Since self-compassion is a skill that can be taught, the team believes that it could be a strategy to improve mental health issues in youth with T1D, like diabetes distress.

The aim of the study is to assess the effectiveness of a mindful self-compassion program on improving the diabetes distress experienced by youth aged 12-17 years with T1D. The mindful self-compassion program will consist of weekly virtual 1.5-hour sessions/workshops for 8 weeks, led by a trained facilitator. It will cover a variety of self-compassion practices, such as dealing with difficult emotions and developing a kind inner voice.

The team anticipates that symptoms of anxiety, depression, disordered eating, and suicidal ideation will be lower in the mindful self-compassion group compared to the control group. This study has the potential to lower diabetes distress, the most common mental health problem experienced by youth with T1D, by increasing their self-compassion. Ultimately, the team plans to advocate for the inclusion of such programs in standard care for youth across Canada, thereby directly impacting their mental health and blood sugar control.

Principal Investigator

Marie-Eve Robinson , Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute

Team Members

Alexandra Ahmet, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario

Ellen Goldbloom, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario

Karine Khatchadourian, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario

Sarah Lawrence, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario

Caroline Zuijdwijk, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario

Brian Feldman, The Hospital For Sick Children

Jai Shah, McGill University

Gary Goldfield, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute

Kuan Liu, University of Toronto

Andrew Leonard, Camp Banting

Noah Spector, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario

Saunya Dover, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute

Partners and Donors

JDRF Canada