“It’s Pretty Hard to Make Friends over a Zoom Meeting Room”: Understanding the Recreational Experiences of Youth with Type 1 Diabetes During COVID-19

Youth with diabetes frequently have limited access to traditional camps because of the need for accessible medical staff (Hill, E., 2019). COVID-19 has made it even more difficult for youth with type 1 diabetes to participate in any youth development programs due to the pandemic restrictions. During the pandemic, it is unknown if youth with T1D are able to engage in any recreational activities that may teach them resilience and independence in managing their medical condition. The purpose of this study was to see how youth with T1D cope in an altered recreation environment as a result of COVID-19 Using an interpretive phenomenological analysis research approach, semi-structured interviews using Zoom were conducted with three youth living with T1D. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the3-step methodology (Smith et al., 2009) including: (1) immersion by reading and re-reading of the interview transcription at the case level, (2) reduction of data into emergent themes within that case, and (3) the identification of recurring patterns across cases. Each participant has previously attended a resilience-based medical specialty youth program, allowing them to compare the changes that occurred in an altered environment influenced by COVID-19. Using the conceptual framework of resilience, presence of compensatory protective effects including insight, independence, fulfilling relationships, initiative, creativity, humor, and the capacity to “distinguish good from bad” (Fraser et al., 1999, p. 135) were highlighted in the participants’ reflections about their experiences. The participants described how family support, engagement in positive relationships, and increased technology function contributed to their coping mechanism as youth living with T1D in the midst of a pandemic