Online CE Course on The Biopsychosocial Challenges for Adolescents with Diabetes Updated at HealthForumOnline
Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) July 28, 2015 -- HealthForumOnline (HFO), a nationally-approved (APA, ASWB, NBCC) provider of online continuing education (CE) is pleased to announce updates to the CE course entitled, Adolescents with Diabetes: What are the Challenges? This is a relevant topic in health care as diabetes (type 1 and type 2) now affects 151,000 people under the age of 20 in the U.S. (1), with more than 13,000 new cases of type 1 (1) and 3,600 new cases of type 2 diabetes (2) diagnosed annually. In fact, today, diabetes is one of the most common diseases among school-age children.
In the field of diabetes care, it is well-known that as children transition from childhood to adolescence, their blood glucose control often declines (3). This decline is usually attributed to adolescents’ decreased adherence to their diabetes care regimen, to physiologic changes inherent in adolescence, and to teens’ changing psychological and social environments. Not surprisingly, poor metabolic control for these youths is marked by a cycle of decreased psychosocial well-being and by significant increases in diabetes-related hospitalizations. While these are issues of immediate concern, clinicians have also realized that such non-adherence is not simply a transient phase for their teenage patients (4). Indeed, it is a pattern often maintained throughout adulthood that greatly contributes to the mortality and morbidity of the condition (5).
This course presents a detailed look at this turbulent time in development and the biopsychosocial complexities presented for teenagers with diabetes. In a disease in which blood glucose control makes or breaks the road to a healthy future, teens and their health professionals encounter numerous emotional and behavioral challenges that directly affect this control. This course addresses specific clinical aspects of diabetes that may be affected by inadequate psychological adjustment to the condition. Current research into factors affecting emotional adjustment and associated health behaviors for teens is discussed, as well as the impact of family dynamics. Knowing how best to address the individual challenges teenage patients with diabetes face can help clinicians escort them to a healthier future. Specifically, the information presented examines the experience of diabetes in adolescence, reviews the various factors underlying adolescents’ non-adherence to diabetes self-care, and discusses mental health interventions shown to be effective with this diverse population of teenagers.
1. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011). SEARCH for diabetes in youth fact sheet.
2. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). Children and Diabetes – More Information.
3. Wiebe, D.J., et al. (2005). Children's appraisals of maternal involvement in coping with diabetes: Enhancing our understanding of adherence, metabolic control, and quality of life across adolescence. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 30(2), 167-178.
4. Bryden, K.S., et al. (2001). Clinical and psychological course of diabetes from adolescence to young adulthood. Diabetes Care, 24, 1536-1540.
5. Forthenbery, K.T., Berg, C.A., King, P.S., Stump, T., Butler, J.M., Pham, P.K., & Wiebe, D.J. (2014). Longitudinal trajectories of illness perceptions among adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Journal of pediatric psychology, 39(7), 687-696.
About HealthForumOnline:
HFO’s extensive online CE resource library for psychologists, social workers, counselors, marital family therapists, and other allied health care professionals contains more than 100 CE courses covering over 20 topics in behavioral health. HealthForumOnline (HFO) is [approved as a provider of CE courses by the American Psychological Association, the National Board of Certified Counselors, and the Association of Social Work Boards.
Michelle Rodoletz, Ph.D., HealthForumOnline, http://www.healthforumonline.com, +1 (215) 887-6669, [email protected]
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