Telehealth Therapy Helps Young Adults With Type 1 Diabetes Feel More Confident and Less Stressed

Researchers wanted to know whether a telehealth-based occupational therapy program called REAL-T (Resilient, Empowered, Active Living-Telehealth) could help young adults with type 1 diabetes feel better about managing their condition. They enrolled 209 people ages 18 to 30 who had type 1 diabetes for at least a year and were struggling with blood sugar control (A1C of 7.5% or higher).

Half the group received six months of occupational therapy sessions via telehealth, while the other half received usual diabetes care. Researchers tracked participants for 12 months, measuring blood sugar metrics, emotional distress, how confident people felt managing diabetes, and overall quality of life related to their condition.

The therapy did not significantly improve A1C or continuous glucose monitor readings compared to usual care. However, people who received REAL-T showed meaningful improvements in emotional distress and diabetes self-efficacy—the confidence they had in their ability to manage their condition day to day.

When researchers looked more closely at people who completed the full program, the benefits were even clearer. These participants reported better quality of life related to their diabetes and less distress about following their treatment routines.

Most importantly, these improvements held up at the 12-month check-in, suggesting that the therapy created lasting change in how young adults felt about managing type 1 diabetes.

Living with type 1 diabetes involves constant decision-making, blood sugar monitoring, and adjustments. For many young adults, the emotional weight of this responsibility can be as challenging as the condition itself. While good blood sugar control is important, feeling confident and emotionally supported matters too.

This study suggests that addressing the psychological and emotional side of diabetes care—rather than focusing only on A1C numbers—can make a real difference in how young adults experience life with type 1 diabetes. The fact that this support was delivered via telehealth is also significant: it removed barriers like travel time and scheduling conflicts that can prevent people from accessing mental health services.

The findings support the idea that occupational therapy deserves a place in comprehensive diabetes care for young adults. Researchers suggest that psychosocial outcomes—how people feel emotionally and how they function day to day—should be treated as central treatment goals, not add-ons. More work is needed to understand how this type of therapy might work best for different groups and how to make it more widely available.

Source: The science of diabetes self-management and care. Evidence type: PubMed indexed literature. Type1Cure is an information and intelligence hub, not a medical advice service. This article summarizes published research and does not provide diagnosis, treatment, or personal medical guidance. Always talk to your own care team before changing anything about your Type 1 diabetes management.