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Review: psychosocial issues in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease
Laura M Mackner1, Dory P Sisson, Wallace V Crandall
1Department of Pediatrics, Columbus Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University, USA. mackner@chi.osu.edu
Insights
Children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may face behavioral and emotional challenges compared to healthy peers. Further research is needed to understand adaptation and risk factors in pediatric IBD.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Psychology
- Gastroenterology
- Child Health Research
Background:
- Psychosocial issues significantly impact children with chronic illnesses.
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) presents unique challenges for pediatric patients and their families.
- Understanding these psychosocial aspects is crucial for comprehensive care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically review existing research on psychosocial challenges in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
- To identify gaps in current knowledge and provide recommendations for future research directions.
- To enhance the understanding of adaptation processes and risk factors in pediatric IBD.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a comprehensive literature search using Medline and PsychInfo databases.
- Included bibliographies of relevant articles to ensure thoroughness.
- Critically evaluated research comparing children with IBD to healthy and other illness populations.
Main Results:
- Children with IBD may exhibit increased risks in behavioral, emotional, and family functioning compared to healthy children.
- However, functioning in pediatric IBD appears comparable to that in other chronic illness populations.
- The clinical significance of these risks and the impact of disease severity on adjustment remain unclear.
Conclusions:
- Future research should adopt a developmental perspective to study adaptation to pediatric IBD.
- Investigating risk factors for poor adjustment is essential.
- The role of psychosocial factors in health outcomes for pediatric IBD requires further exploration.
Objective:
To review and critically evaluate research on psychosocial issues in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to provide recommendations for future research.
Methods:
A literature search was conducted using the Medline and PsychInfo computerized databases as well as the bibliographies of relevant articles.
Results:
Most of the existing research has compared children with IBD to healthy populations and other illness populations. Compared to healthy children, children with IBD may be at greater risk for difficulties in behavioral and emotional functioning as well as in family and parent functioning, but all such functioning appears similar to that found in other illness populations. It is unclear if the increased risk reaches clinical significance and what role the severity of the disease plays in adjustment.
Conclusions:
Future research should use a developmental perspective to investigate the process of adaptation to IBD, risk factors of poor adjustment, and the role of psychosocial factors in health outcomes in pediatric IBD.
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