Emergence of a butterfly: the life experiences of type 1 diabetes Taiwanese patients during the 16–25 years old transition period

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To explore the life experiences of patients with type 1 diabetes transition from adolescence into adulthood in Taiwan.

Methods: Descriptive phenomenological design was used. Fourteen participants were individually interviewed using a semi-structured interview.

Results: The life experiences of patients with type 1 diabetes transition from adolescence into adulthood experience a metamorphosis from awareness of responsibility to figuring out a way to care for themselves. Six themes emerged: (1) hibernation: awareness of responsibility; (2) emergence: attempts to take responsibility; (3) perseverance: encountering difficulties; (4) anxiety: multiple worries; (5) hesitation: back-and-forth,” and (6) exit: finding a way out.”

Conclusions: During the transition phase, the participants experienced the trials of various situations. Regardless of whether they are able to independently bear the responsibilities of self-management, they all hope to turn around the challenges of disease control and take ownership of their disease. Like a butterfly that emerges from a cocoon, they hoped to overcome the dangers of taking flight through trial and error and navigating the world. The results of this study can serve as a reference for clinical care and developing localized intervention strategies targeted to the transition period between adolescence and young adulthood.

KEYWORDS:

• Type1 diabetes
• life experiences
• transition; adolescent; young adults; nursing; qualitative

Author contributions

Conceptualization: Yueh-Tao Chiang, Tzu-Ting Huang

Data curation: Yueh-Tao Chiang, Fu-Song Lo.

Formal analysis: Yueh-Tao Chiang.

Funding acquisition: Yueh-Tao Chiang

Investigation: Yueh-Tao Chiang, Fu-Song Lo.

Methodology: Yueh-Tao Chiang.

Supervision: Chi-Wen Chen, Philip Moons, Tzu-Ting Huang

Writing – original draft: Yueh-Tao Chiang, Chi-wen Chang, Hsing-Yi Yu.

Writing – review & editing: Yueh-Tao Chiang, Hsing-Yi Yu, Chi-Wen Chen, Chi-wen Chang, Philip Moons.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the patients for taking time to provide a wealth of experience as research data.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology under Grant [grant number: MOST 106-2314-B-182-063]; and Chang Gung University [grant number: NMRPD1G1381].

Notes on contributors

Yueh-Tao Chiang

Yueh-Tao Chiang is Assistant Professor at School of Nursing, College of Medicine, Chang-Gung University. She is also an Assistant Research Fellow at Division of Paediatric Endocrinology & Genetics, Department of Paediatrics, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.

Hsing-Yi Yu is Assistant Professor at School of Nursing, College of Medicine, Chang-Gung University. She is also an Assistant Research Fellow at Department of Nursing, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.

Fu-Sung Lo is Attending Physician at Division of Paediatric Endocrinology & Genetics, Department of Paediatrics, Chang- Gung Memorial Hospital, He is also an and Associate Professor at College of Medicine, Chung-Gung University, Taiwan.

Chi-Wen Chen is Professor at School of Nursing, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan.

Tzu-Ting Huang is Professor at School of Nursing, College of Medicine, Chang-Gung University. She is also a Research Fellow at Department of Neurology (Dementia Centre), Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.

Chi-Wen Chang is Assistant Professor at School of Nursing, College of Medicine, Chang-Gung University. She is also an Assistant Research Fellow at Division of Paediatric Endocrinology & Genetics, Department of Paediatrics, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.

Philip Moons is Professor at Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Belgium. And also at Institute of Health and Care Sciences, University of Gothenburg in Sweden and Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town in South Africa.