Impact of a camp experience on choice of coping strategies by adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Summer camps for children with IDDM have allowed educators to expand diabetes curricula and test novel approaches to education. Yet few evaluations have been published assessing the effectiveness of these types of educational interventions. The present study was designed as a formative assessment to provide preliminary evaluation of the impact of a life skills curriculum designed to increase awareness of different techniques that may be useful in managing stress. Life skills curricula are included each year as part of the teen session at the Texas Lions Camp for Children with Diabetes. Following the intervention, campers reported an intent to use more problem-focused and fewer detachment strategies to deal with a personally identified stressor. Limitations of the current pilot study are used to illustrate problems inherent in evaluation of camp programs.