Resilience Factors in Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Health Care Provider, Parent and Youth Perspectives

Exploring factors related to resilience in youth with inflammatory bowel disease may elucidate modifiable risk factors and inform interventions. Yet, how resilience factors may impact positive adaptation for youth with inflammatory bowel disease is not clear. We conducted an exploratory qualitative study on specific factors that bolster resilience in youth with IBD from health care provider, parent and youth perspectives. Twelve multidisciplinary health care providers, 15 parents of youth with IBD, and 15 youth with IBD were interviewed about their perspectives on resilience in youth with IBD. Inductive content analysis was conducted on the transcripts using a stepwise process of open coding, category creation, and abstraction. Higher level categories were identified across the three participant groups: individual (acceptance of IBD, openness about living with IBD, upholding a sense of self, sense of control), familial (disease self-management), and environmental (relationship with the medical team and meaningful social support). This is the first study to highlight that these three participant groups identified specific characteristics that could be fostered in routine IBD care and targeted by interventions aimed at bolstering resilience in youth with IBD.