Investigating the Effect of Photovoice on the Resilience and Perceived Social Stigma of Patients With Type 1 Diabetes: A Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

ABSTRACT Background and Aims Patients with type 1 diabetes often experience high levels of perceived social stigma, which can severely impact their psychological resilience. Photovoice is an innovative visual participatory method, but its efficacy in this population remains unexplored. This study protocol aims to evaluate the effect of a photovoice intervention on resilience and perceived social stigma in patients with type 1 diabetes. Methods This is a single‐blind, two‐group, three‐stage clinical trial with a pretest‐posttest design and 1‐month follow‐up. A total of 56 patients with type 1 diabetes will be selected fromIsfahan Comprehensive Health Centers using cluster sampling before being divided into two intervention and control groups by a simple randomization method. The intervention group will undergo a 4‐week photovoice intervention, which focuses on topics such as identity recovery, management of fear and negative emotions, compatibility with family and friends, and management of emotions resulting from judgments and blame. During the intervention, participants will prepare photos with specified topics and analyze and discuss them in group sessions using the SHOWED technique. The control group will receive routine care at the health centers. Resilience and perceived social stigma in both groups will be measured before, immediately after, and 1 month after the intervention using standard questionnaires. The data will be analyzed through SPSS‐20 software using t‐tests and repeated measures ANOVA. Results Results will be reported in accordance with CONSORT guidelines following the completion of the trial. This paper presents the rationale and methodology for the study. Conclusion This study will evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the photovoice intervention in enhancing psychological resilience and reducing perceived social stigma in patients with type 1 diabetes, and will provide evidence for the application of this approach in nursing care.