A randomised trial of a trauma-informed well-being program to promote mental health in adolescents with type 1 diabetes: Study protocol
Author Identifier (ORCID)
K. Lombardi: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8016-2197
Abstract
Background: Children and young people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) experience high rates of mental ill health and stress due to the emotional and cognitive energy required to manage their condition. Our team has codesigned Wellbeing T1D, a brief trauma-informed online intervention for adolescents living with T1D. This 5-week intervention will teach skills to promote problem solving, improve emotional regulation and promote helpful thinking and coping. Objectives: The aim of this project is to pilot the Wellbeing project with Australian adolescents, aged 13–17 years. The feasibility and potential effectiveness of the intervention will be evaluated. We hypothesise that the Wellbeing project will show efficacy in improving the well-being, resilience and coping skills of adolescents with T1D. Methods: A double arm, pre–post longitudinal study design will be employed, with an intervention group and a non-intervention group receiving treatment as usual, to determine the potential effectiveness of the intervention content and delivery. We aim to recruit approximately 40 adolescents, at least 6 months post-T1D diagnosis, to take part in the intervention. We will measure changes in participants' level of optimism, self-compassion and diabetes-specific distress and resilience at three timepoints. Conclusion: This protocol outlines the first trauma-informed intervention aimed at addressing symptoms of traumatic stress in this population. Wellbeing T1D has the potential to be used in a variety of settings (both clinical and non-clinical) to reduce the disease burden on adolescents living with T1D and their families, improve long-term mental health outcomes and ultimately reduce morbidity from diabetes and its other physical complications.
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
12-1-2025
Volume
42
Issue
12
PubMed ID
41074246
Publication Title
Diabetic Medicine
Publisher
Wiley
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
RAS ID
88144
Funders
Embrace at The Kids Research Institute Australia / Channel 7 Telethon Trust / Rio Tinto Embrace
Copyright
subscription content
Comments
Lombardi, K., Paciente, R., Coombs, S., Hanna, N., Milroy, H., Ohan, J., Rose, S., Bebbington, K., Roby, H. C., Taplin, C. E., & Woolard, A. (2025). A randomised trial of a trauma‐informed well‐being program to promote mental health in adolescents with type 1 diabetes: Study protocol. Diabetic Medicine, 42(12), e70148. https://doi.org/10.1111/dme.70148