Study of Motivational Interviewing in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Motivational Interviewing (MI) has been shown to be effective in facilitating change in health-related behaviour in adults. The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of MI for adolescents aged 14-17 years with type 1 diabetes. The study was divided into two parts. Study I was a randomised controlled trial (RCT) analysed by intention to treat. Sixty six adolescents with type 1 diabetes, attending diabetes clinics in South Wales, were randomly assigned to the MI intervention group (n=38) and to the control group (n=28) who received support counselling based on education and self management skills. All participants received individual sessions over 12 months. The main outcome measures were serum glycosylated haemoglobin (HbAic) concentrations and psychosocial measures which included quality of life and well- being. These were assessed at baseline, 12 months (end of intervention) and at 24 months (one year post intervention). Sixty patients completed data at 12 months. At 12 months the mean HbA C in the MI group was significantly lower than in the control group (p=0.04), after adjusting for baseline values. At 24 months follow up, this difference in HbAic had increased (p=0.003). There were differences in psychosocial variables at 12 months, with the MI group indicating more positive well-being, enhanced quality of life and differences in their personal models of illness (all p