Psychological Interventions for Parents of Preschool Children with Diabetes: A Review Study

Abstract

Background: In recent years, the prevalence of diabetes has increased significantly. Parents of children with diabetes suffer from many physical and psychological problems; Therefore, various interventions have been designed to improve their quality of life and well-being. These interventions have benefited from a wide range of approaches and methodologies. The present study was conducted with the aim of identifying and reviewing various psychological interventions for parents of children under 6 years old with diabetes and examining their strengths and weaknesses.

Methods: The search for interventional protocols was done through various databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct and Scopus. after checking the data entry criteria, 11 articles were selected and studied.

Results: The interventions used different approaches such as cognitive-behavioral, social learning, family therapy, and positive parenting. The intervention methods were mostly remote and had different consequences for the parent and the child, which has been highlighted. Also, the sample size in these studies was between 30 and 200 parents, and the satisfaction level of the main interventions was reported to be high.

Conclusion: In general, limited interventions have been conducted. Given that interventions focusing on the psychological state of parents can lead to increased social support and improved mental health in parents and children with diabetes, it is hoped that this article will pave the way for examining different approaches.