Evaluation of an Ongoing Psychoeducational Inflammatory Bowel Disease Support Group in an Adult Outpatient Setting

Abstract

Previous studies assessing efficacy of support groups for patients with inflammatory bowel disease showed mixed results in terms of attendance and overall effectiveness. In this study, researchers evaluated the use of an ongoing open psychoeducational support group for adult patients with inflammatory bowel disease in an outpatient tertiary setting. The sample consisted of 18 adults who have attended more than 2 meetings of the support group. Topics addressed in the support group include complementary medicine, diet and nutrition, the psychological impact of inflammatory bowel disease, medication and side effects, and insurance/disability. Participants were asked to complete the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire, Multidimensional Support Scale, 11 general demographic questions, and a brief open-ended qualitative questionnaire developed by the researchers. Results demonstrated that participants reported very high satisfaction with the support group and rated the adequacy of peer support from others with inflammatory bowel disease higher than support from family/friends and professionals. A majority of group members reported joining the group for mutual support and education; this expectation was met through the psychoeducational structure of the group. This study demonstrates the potential for success of an ongoing psychoeducational inflammatory bowel disease support group for adult patients and their caregivers.

Gaining perspective on own illness – the lived experiences of a patient education programme for women with treated coeliac disease

“…However, interaction with others with the same diagnosis was considered important because it allowed comparison that seemed to help persons gain an overview of life with CD and thus understand their own situation better. These findings are in line with the results obtained from studies of support groups for persons with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), in which participants reported very high satisfaction with their meetings, and rated the adequacy of the peer support from others with IBD higher than support from family/friends or professionals (Mcmaster et al 2012). In contrast, H akanson et al (2012 found that combining reciprocal sharing of experiences and professional scientific knowledge during PE, for persons with IBD, contributed to an increased willingness to improve well-being for most participants (H akanson et al 2012).…”

“…These findings are in line with the results obtained from studies of support groups for persons with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), in which participants reported very high satisfaction with their meetings, and rated the adequacy of the peer support from others with IBD higher than support from family/friends or professionals (Mcmaster et al . ). In contrast, Håkanson et al .…”

“…Few authors have investigated the influence of patient education for persons with chronic bowel disease, apart from considering aspects of gastrointestinal symptoms and psychology (Mcmaster et al . , Ringström et al . ).…”

“…Patient education is a core component of nursing (Bergh et al 2014), and knowledge is an important factor influencing persons self-management in long-term conditions (Coventry et al 2014). Few authors have investigated the influence of patient education for persons with chronic bowel disease, apart from considering aspects of gastrointestinal symptoms and psychology (Mcmaster et al 2012, Ringstr€ om et al 2012. To our knowledge there are no previous studies investigating women's lived experiences after attending a patient education programme for women with CD.…”

Effects of caregiver burden on quality of life and coping strategies utilized by caregivers of adult patients with inflammatory bowel disease

“…Interestingly, we clearly demonstrated that participation in spiritual activities and social support groups may help reduce the level of burden for the caregiver. This underscores the fact that, as IBD practitioners, we should encourage caregivers to attend these group-based activities, which we have demonstrated in our previous study to be an effective outlet for patients and their caregivers [32]. …”