Evaluation of a Weekend Group for Parents of Children with Diabetes

A weekend group was organized for parents of children with diabetes with the aim of teaching them an approach to identifying and tackling common problems. A total of 97 parents of 85 children participated. The effectiveness of the weekend was evaluated and measures were taken before, immediately following and 3 months afterwards. Parents rated themselves significantly more confident in looking after their child immediately following the weekend. although ratings of perceived difficulty in managing the child's diabetes did not alter. Three months later parents' confidence had further increased, although as before perceived difficulty was unchanged. The majority of parents reported making at least some changes either in daily management or other aspects of coping with their child's diabetes. Participation in such short-term groups represents an efficient approach to increasing the confidence of parents of children with a chronic illness.