# Positive Psychology Intervention to Treat Diabetes Distress in Teens with T1D

> **NIH NIH R01** · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · 2022 · $486,276

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) struggle to meet treatment goals – only 17% met the target for
glycemic control in a recent national study – and many adolescents experience high levels of diabetes distress
related to the daily demands of diabetes care. Yet, previous interventions to improve glycemic control in
adolescents with type 1 diabetes have only shown modest to moderate effects, and many have been time-
intensive and expensive. Thus, there is a need for novel interventions to improve outcomes in adolescents with
T1D. Increasing positive affect, or pleasurable engagement with the environment (e.g., feeling happy, cheerful,
proud), has been shown to promote the use of more adaptive coping strategies to manage stress. Thus, the
proposed study is based on the premise that, by boosting positive affect in teens with diabetes, we will
enhance the use of adaptive coping strategies and reduce diabetes distress, thereby improving glycemic
control in adolescents. Through an iterative series of pilot studies, our research team adapted a behavioral
intervention using a positive psychology framework that we demonstrated to be feasible and acceptable for
adolescents with T1D. This intervention is aimed at inducing positive affect in adolescents (age 13-17) through
empirically-validated, tailored exercises in gratitude, self-affirmation, and caregiver affirmations. In our pilot
studies, the intervention had promising effects on adolescents' quality of life, diabetes-related stress, and
family conflict, all of which are closely linked with diabetes distress. We now plan to evaluate the efficacy of the
intervention in a multisite, randomized controlled trial. The aims of this study are to 1) evaluate the effects of a
positive psychology intervention for adolescents (age 13-17) and their caregivers on glycemic control; 2)
evaluate the effects of the intervention on diabetes distress, coping, and self-care behavior; and 3) explore the
differential impact of intervention effects across demographic and treatment variables. We plan to randomize
200 adolescent-caregiver dyads to the Positive Affect + Education intervention (n=100) or the Education only
intervention (n=100) from two clinical sites (Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Children's National
Medical Center). By employing a positive psychology framework, we propose an innovative approach to treat
diabetes distress and improve glycemic outcomes. We believe this novel intervention has the potential to
improve outcomes in adolescents with T1D, and the use of automated text messaging to deliver the
intervention offers possibilities for wide dissemination.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10379951
- **Project number:** 5R01DK121316-04
- **Recipient organization:** VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Sarah S Jaser
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $486,276
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-04-01 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10379951

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10379951, Positive Psychology Intervention to Treat Diabetes Distress in Teens with T1D (5R01DK121316-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10379951. Licensed CC0.

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