AbstractsPsychology

This thesis explores the interaction between the physical and mental health characteristics of diabetes. It is a casestudy of one diabetic female. Movement and diabetic assessments were done over a six week period. Movement observations andblood tests were used for measurement during this study.Movement therapy offers two advantages to the diabetic. First, his physical well being is improved by the decrease in blood glucose, and secondly it eases psychological difficulties that come from coping with diabetes.The results demonstrate the usefulness of movement therapy to diabetics. Movement therapy can influence blood glucose valuesand helps indicate decomposition in diabetics. These two observations were demonstrated during the case study. Thesubject's decomposition was identified prior to the blood tests and the subject's blood glucose was adversely affected by stressand benefited from movement therapy.The instrumentation used in this study was adopted from Carol Caruso's study of stress and schizophrenia (1976) and Marian North's personality assessment (1975). Diabeticinstrumentation involved the glycosylated hemoglobin blood test.This study has indicated that movement therapy is applicable to diabetics. Movement therapy has many advantages to offerdiabetics. Movement therapy's versatility can help children, adults, and families affected by diabetes and its side effects.Further movement research will expand the usefulness of this therapy to the diabetic.