title: The effects of multisystemic therapy on diabetes stress among adolescents with chronically poorly controlled type 1 diabetes: findings from a randomized, controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this study was to determine whether multisystemic therapy (MST), an intensive, home-based psychotherapy, could decrease diabetes-related stress among adolescents with chronically poorly controlled type 1 diabetes. Stress was also evaluated as a mediator of the effect of MST on adherence and metabolic control.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized, controlled trial was conducted with 127 adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus and chronically poor metabolic control (hemoglobin A1c levels of > or =8% at study enrollment and for the past 1 year) who received their diabetes care in a children's hospital located in a major Midwestern city. Participants assigned randomly to MST received treatment for approximately 6 months. Data were collected at baseline and at a 7-month posttest (ie, treatment termination). Changes in diabetes-related stress, as measured with a self-report questionnaire, were assessed. Structural equation models were used to test the degree to which changes in stress levels mediated the ability of the MST intervention to improve adherence and metabolic control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In intent-to-treat analyses, participation in MST was associated with significant reductions in diabetes-related stress. Tests for moderation found no significant effects of age, gender, or ethnicity, which suggests that the intervention was equally effective in reducing diabetes stress for all participants. However, structural equation modeling did not provide support for diabetes stress as the mechanism through which MST improved health outcomes. Rather, the final model suggested that MST improved metabolic control through increased regimen adherence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intensive, home-based psychotherapy reduces diabetes-related stress among adolescents with chronically poorly controlled type 1 diabetes. Such stress reductions are important for the psychological wellbeing of a subset of youths with diabetes who are at high risk for future health complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA. dellis@med.wayne.edu
authors.forename: Deborah A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.forename: Maureen A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Frey
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naar-King
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Templin
authors.forename: Phillippe B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: Nedim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cakan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011613:Psychotherapy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy*