A purposive sample (2 males, 3 females) of students (aged 18–29 years) with chronic illness completed standardized measures and a semi-structured interview. Content analysis of the interview data revealed two themes: stress exacerbating symptoms of illness and a desire for a support group on campus. Viewed through the theory of emerging adulthood, participants' social support data suggest that some college students with chronic illness are challenged by the developmental tasks of this life stage due to their health issues. Male students with chronic illnesses may be at a higher risk than females for college adjustment problems. The growing population of those with a diagnosis can benefit from developmental advising that includes validation of their particular challenges and appropriate intervention.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.