The effects of participation in a support group on self-assessed quality of life in people with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of participation in a support group on self-assessed quality of life. Based on an initial self-report assessment of quality of life 25 people were allocated to 5 groups comprising 4-6 participants (intervention group) and 36 controls. The support groups met fort-nightly for 6 months and were facilitated by the investigator and a diabetic nurse specialist. Group processes were aimed at alleviating distress and improve satisfaction with life and included installation of hope, imparting information and group cohesiveness. Both the intervention and control group completed the quality of life measure at the end of 6 months. There were no significant differences between the intervention and control group on background characteristics or quality of life pre-test scores. No significant differences were found between the intervention and control group on difference in pre and post-test scores, indicating that support group participation did not effect self-assessed quality of life. This finding may be due to methodological issues i.e. selection, sample size and the instrument used, the implementation of the intervention and/or the concept of quality of life as an outcome variable.