Young adults with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) face unique challenges with the transition to adulthood. Social pressures, navigating education, work, and for some managing finances on their own for the first time is overwhelming on top of managing IBD. While many organizations have focused on children and adults with IBD, there has not been enough of a focus on young adults with IBD.
According to this study, 25% of patients are diagnosed before the age of 16, an age when they are transitioning to adult services. While we know that IBD is being diagnosed at younger ages, all of these children will eventually make the transition and transfer into adulthood.
Young adulthood is a time for identity formation and developing resiliency. The stress, frustration, and uncertainty of an IBD diagnosis - whether in childhood or young adulthood poses numerous challenges, a major being the lack of holistic and emotional support. It is apparent that addressing mental health through medical professionals and peer support must be taken more seriously.
A study found that chronic conditions such as Crohn’s disease increase a young person’s odds of suicidal thoughts by 28 percent and plans to die by suicide by 134 percent. A chronic condition increases the odds of a suicide attempt by 363 percent.
We can do our part by providing much-needed peer support to reduce isolation. In one study, participants discussed an interest in support groups to promote self-advocacy. With our two support groups per month, exclusive to young adults with IBD from around the world, we aim to use peer support as a catalyst for disease acceptance and self-management.
Here are some other sources that you should know about:
A previous study reported that young adults with IBD are more likely than their older counterparts to have extensive ulcerative colitis and more upper gastrointestinal involvement with Crohn's disease (Goodhand et al., 2010)
In addition to poorer disease prognosis, young adults with chronic illnesses suffer particular social consequences, including a decreased likelihood of college graduation and employment, and an increased likelihood of receiving government assistance (Hummel et al., 2013; Maslow, Haydon, McRee, Ford, & Halpern, 2011).
Study participants also expressed an interest in peer support groups or mentorship programs to build capacity in self-advocacy. Participants diagnosed as children may have underused supports for self-management due to not wishing to draw attention to their illness during adolescence (Modi et al., 2012).
Our study builds upon these findings, as even study participants with a long history of IBD desired support services. These findings demonstrate the importance of offering supports to patients of all ages, regardless of their duration of illness.