Project Overview

Dr. Selby and his team at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto are bringing experts in mental health and T1D care together with those who have lived experience of T1D to co-develop a solution for diabetes distress that is accessible and acceptable to people with T1D, their caregivers, and health care practitioners. The program is geared towards younger adults between the ages of 18 and 29, a group disproportionately vulnerable to diabetes distress. The patient voice will be central throughout the project, from developing the proposal to developing the solution.

This project adapts proven approaches to managing diabetes distress to a virtual format (using video chat, telephone calls, and text messaging) supported and directed by mental health and T1D experts, thereby capitalizing on the digital literacy of this population and increasing accessibility to treatment. Participants will be invited to participate in the program which will comprise of 8 scheduled sessions, complemented by support from a care coach and/or peers.

The evaluation of the intervention will examine both the feasibility and acceptability of the program as well as its effectiveness in reducing diabetes distress. The impact on diabetes self-care, overall blood glucose levels, and episodes of low blood glucose will also be measured.

JDRF has committed to supporting and creating a holistic framework for mental health treatment and care for all people in Canada living with T1D. Their support for this project is another step in that direction.