Application of the paediatric medical traumatic stress model to the mental health experience of young people living with type 1 diabetes: a qualitative study

Despite the various traumatic events that a young person living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) may experience, little is known about the burden and manifestation of traumatic stress in this population. Though mental health outcomes have been explored generally, medical trauma-sensitive approaches to understanding these experiences remain limited. We utilised a qualitative descriptive approach to explore the impact of T1D on young people’s mental health through the paediatric medical traumatic stress model (PMTS). Young people aged 13–30 living with T1D were interviewed. These interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Three main themes were generated: (1) perceived sources of trauma throughout the T1D journey, (2) responses to and consequences of trauma, and (3) role of resilience throughout the T1D journey. The first and second themes elucidate the sources of traumatic stress ranging from physiological, clinical, and social experiences. Furthermore, the consequences of unaddressed trauma are observed throughout adolescence, but is most evident in the transition between adolescence and young adulthood. The final theme refers to sources of resilience for young people living with T1D and its role in mitigating the consequences of adverse trauma immediately post-diagnosis and in the long term. Application of the PMTS model to these experiences offers a novel perspective on young people’s experiences of living with T1D and enhances our understanding of trauma and traumatic stress in this population. Findings suggest that interventions focused on bolstering resilience might contribute to the prevention of long-term adverse mental health outcomes for young people living with T1D.