Evaluation of Arts-Based Storytelling Program in Adolescents With Diabetes
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Arts-Based Storytelling Workshop Series.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Diabetes Mellitus. Basic parameters: 16 years — 25 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Overview
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether an arts-based storytelling and narrative medicine workshop series can improve social connection, illness identity, and psychological well-being in adolescents and young adults with chronic illness, specifically diabetes. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does participation in a narrative-based storytelling workshop improve social connectedness and peer support among adolescents and young adults with diabetes? * Does engagement in creative arts and reflective storytelling support identity formation, self-expression, and emotional well-being in this population? Participants will be 16-25 years old and recruited through the UCSF Pediatric Diabetes Clinic. Individuals must be able to participate in group workshops and complete surveys and interviews related to the study. Participants will: * Attend eight weekly workshops centered on storytelling, reflection, and creative expression * Engage in narrative medicine activities, including writing, storytelling, drawing, and facilitated reflection * Participate in group discussions focused on personal experiences with chronic illness * Complete pre- and post-intervention surveys assessing psychosocial outcomes such as social connectedness, illness identity, self-concept, and mental well-being * Participate in interviews and reflective exercises about their experiences in the program This study aims to explore the role of narrative medicine and arts-based interventions in supporting adolescents and young adults with chronic illness and assess their potential benefits as a supplement to standard medical care.
Interventions
- Behavioral Arts-Based Storytelling Workshop Series
The Arts-Based Storytelling Workshop Series is a structured eight-week behavioral intervention designed to enhance self-expression, social connection, emotional reflection, and psychological well-being in adolescents and young adults with diabetes. This intervention differs from traditional educational or counseling approaches by integrating creative expression, guided reflection, and group dialogue as therapeutic tools. Each weekly session includes: -Engagement with written, visual, or artistic
Primary outcome measures
- Participant retention and attendance [Time frame: Throughout intervention (Weeks 1-8), assessed immediately post-intervention (Week 8)]
- Participant satisfaction [Time frame: Immediately post-intervention (Week 8)]
Secondary outcome measures (5)
- Illness identity [Time frame: Pre-intervention (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 8)]
- Social connectedness [Time frame: Pre-intervention (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 8)]
- Self-reported well-being [Time frame: Pre-intervention (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 8)]
- Self-esteem [Time frame: Pre-intervention (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 8)]
- Qualitative themes from interviews and group reflections [Time frame: Pre-intervention (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 8)]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Participants must be patients at the UCSF Pediatric Diabetes Clinic
- Participants must have a self-reported diagnosis of diabetes
- Participants must be between 16-25 years old
- The participant and/or caregiver(s) must be English-speaking
Exclusion criteria
- Participants unable to attend the first session
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- N/A
- Model
- Single group
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
Study locations
United States · 1 center
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco
Publications
- Yuan Y, Zhou S, Xu J, Li X. Promoting Resilience and Well-Being of Young Adults with Diabetes Through Digital Storytelling in Arts-Based Research. Health Commun. 2025 Nov;40(13):2828-2838. doi: 10.1080/10410236.2024.2424408. Epub 2024 Nov 6. PMID 39501781
- Wigham S, Watts P, Zubala A, Jandial S, Bourne J, Hackett S. Using Arts-Based Therapies to Improve Mental Health for Children and Young People With Physical Health Long-Term Conditions: A Systematic Review of Effectiveness. Front Psychol. 2020 Sep 25;11:1771. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01771. eCollection 2020. PMID 33101097
- Rappolt EL, Cho E, Tanenbaum ML, Myers A, Mulvaney SA. Story-based interventions for chronic health conditions in youth: a systematic review and narrative synthesis. J Pediatr Psychol. 2026 Jul 1;51(7):579-592. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsag014. PMID 41739534
- Maragh-Bass AC, Dinh N, Cooney G, Aikhuele E, Chandler R, Hughes R, Jones Z, Thomas S, Soberano ZR, Stocks JB, Budhwani H, Hightow-Weidman LB, Lorenzetti L. The role of digital storytelling methods in promoting health-related outcomes among young adults of color: a systematic review. Mhealth. 2025 Jul 14;11:42. doi: 10.21037/mhealth-24-65. eCollection 2025. PMID 40755940
- Lanis A, Tu E, Peskin M, Melendez M, Tarshish G, Akinsete A, Hoffman A, Kenney-Riley K, Rubinstein T, Wahezi D. Storytelling of Young Adults with Chronic Rheumatologic Illnesses: A Pilot Study. Healthcare (Basel). 2022 Oct 9;10(10):1979. doi: 10.3390/healthcare10101979. PMID 36292429
- Gucciardi E, Reynolds E, Karam G, Beanlands H, Sidani S, Espin S. Group-based storytelling in disease self-management among people with diabetes. Chronic Illn. 2021 Sep;17(3):306-320. doi: 10.1177/1742395319859395. Epub 2019 Jul 2. PMID 31266352
- Continisio GI, Nunziata F, Coppola C, Bruzzese D, Spagnuolo MI, Guarino A. Enhancing the care of children with chronic diseases through the narratives of patient, physician, nurse and carer. Scand J Psychol. 2021 Feb;62(1):58-63. doi: 10.1111/sjop.12690. Epub 2020 Nov 18. PMID 33206407
- Gucciardi E, Jean-Pierre N, Karam G, Sidani S. Designing and delivering facilitated storytelling interventions for chronic disease self-management: a scoping review. BMC Health Serv Res. 2016 Jul 11;16:249. doi: 10.1186/s12913-016-1474-7. PMID 27401836
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07625254 · 26-46489