Abstract
Self‐management of type 1 diabetes (T1DM) can be undermined by anxiety about life events; consequently, we introduced a counselling service for people with T1DM (using Person Centred Integrative Counselling) to address their concerns and anxieties about their condition, and this involved a six‐week course of 50‐minute sessions with a qualified and experienced counsellor. We have evaluated the counselling service, looking for benefits for the participants.
We undertook a retrospective analysis of data obtained for people referred to the service between June 2007 and June 2010, pre‐ and post‐attendance at the course of counselling. Outcomes were HbA~1c~ as a measure of glycaemic control, and scores from the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE) questionnaire (a measure of feelings of anxiety and risk) to assess the effectiveness of the counselling.
Of 79 people referred, 62 completed the course. There was no difference between those who did or did not complete in terms of demographic data, pre‐counselling HbA~1c~ or pre‐counselling CORE score. Of those who completed the course, there were reductions in HbA~1c~ (pre‐counselling [median (range)] 9.5% [6.2, 17.8], post‐counselling 9.3% [5.9, 11.4]; p=0.007) and CORE score (pre‐counselling [mean ± SD] 1.60±0.71, post‐counselling 0.89±0.57; p<0.001).
Completion of a course of counselling sessions was associated with improvements in glycaemic control and reduction in anxiety and risk about T1DM. This may be an effective intervention in helping patients with T1DM to self‐manage their condition. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons.