Can Mindfulness and Virtual Reality Reduce Stress in Young Adults With Type 1 Diabetes?

The goal of this study is to learn if Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) can be delivered using virtual reality (VR) technology to emerging adults (youth 16-20 years old) with type 1 diabetes and high levels of stress reactivity. If successful, MBSR-VR has the potential to reach many people who may be living in different places who might not have access to programs like MBSR. This is important because young adults with a chronic illness like diabetes and high levels of stress have been shown to have worse health than young adults with lower stress and young adults without diabetes. This study has not been designed to determine if MBSR-VR improves the health of young adults with diabetes (improves their glycemic control),their feelings of distress (this includes stress, depression, and anxiety), or their mindfulness (being more aware of their thoughts, feelings, actions, and environment) but we will look to see if people are reporting improvements in these areas.

Inclusion Criteria: * Age 16 to 20 years, inclusive * Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) for at least six months * Have elevated levels of stress reactivity as assessed by the Perceived Stress Reactivity Scale (PSRS) * Access to an internet-enabled device on which the participant can participate in virtual study activities Exclusion Criteria: * Significant co-morbid mental health problems limiting the participant's ability to engage effectively in the group nature of the intervention (i.e., thought disorders like schizophrenia, severe cognitive impairment, suicidality or homicidality) * Co-morbid physical health problems in which diabetes is secondary to another chronic medical illness (e.g., cystic fibrosis) and their medical management differs substantially from that of most youth with T1D * Non-English fluency