Creative Arts Diabetes Initiative for Youth/Young Adults Transitioning to Adult Care

The Creative Arts Diabetes Initiative will offer facilitated art therapy with a group/peer-support environment to two groups of youth/young adults, one with type 1 diabetes, and one with type 2 diabetes. This environment intends to "meet youth where they are", promote universality, hope and self-understanding, has the potential to be therapeutic and allows youth to express and learn about themselves and each other while developing healthy coping skills and address their fears and concerns.

As much of diabetes management is about meeting physical health goals - it is the vision of this study that offering additional support in the form of art therapy will have positive effects for bringing awareness and avenues for self-care to the other often neglected dimensions of patients' mental, emotional and spiritual health as part of a more holistic health process.

Engaging in art therapy has the potential to decrease diabetes related distress by giving youth a means and opportunity to identify, understand and express their feelings about having diabetes. Improved self-awareness and self-reflectiveness can help youth integrate their feelings and learn how this can motivate, influence and impact their behaviors and life choices.

Youth will have the opportunity for engaging in peer support, and to build relationships that are meaningful, thus increasing their sense of belonging and positively affect their level of self-confidence, purpose and wellbeing.

Inclusion criteria

• diagnosed with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, live within weekly travel distance to Winnipeg, Manitoba, receive their pediatric care at the Diabetes Education Resource for Children and Adolescents, or who are members of the Maestro Project

Exclusion criteria

• those who cannot give informed consent or who are not able to attend regular sessions due to travel distance