A Psychological Intervention for Mothers of Children with Type 1 Diabetes: Effects on Children's HbA1c Levels, Self-Management, Quality of Life, and Social Support

Abstract

Background: Type 1 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes in children and adolescents. Its management requires active involvement from parents, particularly mothers. This study aimed to investigate the impact of psychological training for mothers on HbA1c, self-management, quality of life, and social support for children with diabetes. Methods: This study was a randomized clinical trial with two groups: experimental and control. Forty-eight mothers of children with type 1 diabetes participated (24 in each group). The experimental group received psychological training over eight weekly sessions. Data were collected at three stages (pre-test, post-test, and three-month follow-up) and analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and Mann-Whitney tests. Findings: Psychoeducation had no significant impact on reducing HbA1c in the intervention group. Self-management scores significantly increased in the intervention group, and this increase remained higher than in the control group during the follow-up phase. Social support increased after the intervention, but this effect did not persist at the three-month follow-up. Quality of life scores showed no significant changes. Conclusion: Psychoeducation provided to mothers of children with type 1 diabetes can be effective in improving their self-management and social support. © 2026, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.