Improving Diabetes-Related Parent-Adolescent Communication With Individualized Feedback

Abstract

Objective: To pilot a brief individualized feedback intervention to improve the communication skills of parents with an adolescent with type 1 diabetes.

Methods: Parent-adolescent dyads (N = 79) discussed a diabetes-related problem, while an interventionist rated the parent's communication skills to give feedback to the parents. Parents were then randomized to a brief feedback session to target person-centered communication skills or an educational session. Dyads discussed another diabetes care problem to assess for change in communication skills. Independent raters coded parent communication skills from video recordings to rate behaviors in the service of examining possible changes in communication skills. Dyads completed ratings of perceived closeness and empathy after each conversation.

Results: Controlling for overall positive communication at baseline, parents who received feedback showed more improvement in specific person-centered communication skills than parents in the control group. Adolescents in the feedback group reported greater increases in parental empathy and intimacy from pre- to postmanipulation than the control.

Conclusions: The feedback intervention showed preliminary efficacy for increasing person-centered communication skills and perceived empathy and intimacy.

Keywords: adolescents; children; diabetes; endocrinology; evidence-based practice; family functioning; parent-adolescent communication.