title: Understanding adolescent type 1 diabetes self-management as an adaptive process: A grounded theory approach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a conceptual understanding of the process of adapting to the self-management of type 1 diabetes during adolescence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were recruited from a National Health Service paediatric diabetes service within the south-west of England which runs six countywide diabetes clinics. Thirteen interviews were conducted using a social constructivist grounded theory approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The findings illustrate how self-management can be understood in terms of a continuum-based framework, ranging from difficulties with, to successful self-management. Adaptation within the continuum can further be understood by specific transitional phases and process mechanisms, providing further depth to individuals' experiences of adaptation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This investigation provides a conceptual understanding of the complex issues adolescents encounter while adapting to and integrating a diabetes self-management regime into their lives. It provides an invaluable framework for exploring psychological mechanisms and contextualising them within a self-management continuum. Implications for healthcare professionals are discussed and further research proposes whether the model could be applicable to other chronic illnesses.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences , City University , London , UK.
authors.forename: Roy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chilton
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences , City University , London , UK.
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pires-Yfantouda
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D066296:Grounded Theory; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: adolescence; grounded theory; qualitative; self-management; social constructivist; type 1 diabetes