Spirituality and Coping in Young Adults with Diabetes

Transformation and spirituality are important aspects of life in people with chronic health conditions. People with diabetes are better able to manage their diabetes when they transform through their diabetes journey and achieve a state of balance. This book describes a study undertaken to explore how young adults with diabetes define spirituality and how spirituality can help them better cope with stressful situations. The key aspects offered in this book are: (1) a broader definition of spirituality that enables researchers and clinicians to discuss spirituality either with people who might not believe in religions or be religious; (2) the ways spirituality could help young adults with diabetes cope with stressful situations and manage their diabetes; (3) emphasis on the need for health care system to provide a holistic care, particularly for young population, for example, setting an appropriate counselling for young people with diabetes that may improve the delivery of health outcomes; and (4) suggestions to integrate spirituality into diabetes care that emerged through the discussions with young adults with diabetes and diabetes educators.

Nasrin Parsian is a nurse, completed her PhD at Deakin University, Melbourne in 2008. She has been in teaching, clinical practice and research in various areas of nursing for more than 15 years; with most special interest in diabetes care, paediatric nursing, adolescents health, transformation and spiritual aspect of care in young people.