Quality of Life in Adolescents with IBD

By Julia Moreau | November 27, 2019

Julia Moreau is an IBD researcher at Queen’s University, Canada, in the Pain Lab.

She works in conjunction with Dr. Dean Tripp to investigate several psychosocial variables that impact teens and young adults' quality of life with IBD.

In this article she tells us about the current research project she is working on...

What is the study called?

The research project is titled Quality of Life in Adolescents with IBD.

What do we currently know about the subject?

This is a pivotal topic to explore because we currently know that adolescents diagnosed with IBD are at a significant risk for depressive symptoms therefore, future depression, anxiety, and other maladaptive health outcomes.

Likewise, current literature hints to psychological variables playing a role in disease related outcomes but the processes as to how are less understood for an adolescent population. 

What is the study looking at?

This current project aims to explain how certain factors, such as social support, self-esteem, and disease severity, among many other variables, contribute to an adolescent’s wellbeing with IBD.

Participants will be asked to complete three online surveys over the course of two months. The questions are focussed around disease s symptoms, stress, feelings of stigma, mood, hope, your personal relationship and how you view your life.

Ultimately, I want to bolster our understanding of how IBD affects teens and young adults and what can be done in the future to improve the overall quality of life for this particular population. 

Get involved

If this is research you are interested in participating in then please read the following information blurb:

“Seeking individuals diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease to participate in an online study looking at what promotes and diminishes quality of life of teens and young adults with inflammatory bowel disease. We will be offering a chance for a e-gift card for some lucky winners. Participants must be from the ages of 16 to 21 years of age and fluent in English. The study involves completing 3 online surveys over the course of 2 months.

To learn more and participate, please click here.


Julia Moreau

Julia Moreau is an IBD researcher at Queen’s University.

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