M08B - Parental Support Needs During Their Emerging Adult's Transition to Adulthood with T1D - A Pilot Study

Key Takeaways of Your Research: 1.There is a significant and unmet need to examine parents’ support needs and linkages between parents’ and emerging adults’ transition-related outcomes. 2. During the transition to adulthood, parents struggle to find their place in their emerging adult’s T1D management. Parents continue to be concerned about their emerging adult’s ability to independently manage their T1D. 3. Limited guidance from T1D care providers leave parents feeling unsupported and disconnected from their emerging adult during this time. T1D care providers caring for emerging adults during the transition to adulthood should include parents in transition planning conversations.

Background/Purpose: The transition to adulthood is a time for families affected by T1D. During the emerging adult’s transition to adulthood, T1D management is facilitated and positively influenced by parental support as well as mutual respect between the parent and the emerging young adult (EYA); however, little is known about the needs of parents during the EYAs transition to young adulthood. Research Hypothesis and/or Research Questions and Specific

Aims: The objective of this study was to identify types and mechanisms of desired support for parents. This will allow for the development of an effective intervention designed to promote a positive transition into the next stage of life for both parent and emerging adult, ensuring family-centered care throughout the lifespan. Methods/Methodology: A descriptive, qualitative design with focus group methodology was used to gain a better understanding of the support needs of parents during the emerging adult’s transition to adulthood with T1D. A purposeful sample of 10 parents was recruited from the Parents of Emerging Adults with Type 1 Diabetes Facebook page and the mid-Atlantic Chapter of JDRF. Thematic analysis was used to analyze results.

Results: Letting go and holding on: parents struggle to walk the line between letting go and holding on to T1D management. Parents report uncertainty in their emerging adult’s ability to manage their T1D independently. Parents actively seek support from both online and offline sources during their emerging adult’s transition to adulthood. Parents reported little to no support for the transition from their emerging adult’s T1D care provider. Despite significant role ambiguity, parents continue to remain involved in their emerging adult’s T1D management through advocacy and by attempting to fill the gap between pediatric and adult T1D care. Conclusions (Impact on Diabetes Care and Education): Evolving roles in the parent/emerging adult dyad and increased levels of distress related to the emerging adult’s transition to adulthood leads to the need for additional support for parents. While parents report receiving support from a variety of sources, both on and offline, parents indicate that they desire additional support from their emerging adult’s T1D care provider during this time. Source of Funding for this Research: None