The Illness Experiences of Chinese Adolescent Patients Living with Crohn Disease

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the illness experience of adolescent patients with Crohn disease and describe the impact of the disease on the everyday lives of these individuals within the Chinese social and cultural context to provide references for targeted interventions for the healthcare team. A descriptive qualitative design was adopted. Purposive sampling was used to select Chinese adolescent patients with Crohn disease to participate in face-to-face in-depth interviews. Data analysis was performed using the conventional content analysis method. Through the analysis of data from 14 adolescent patients with Crohn disease, four themes were formed: (1) I am different from others, (2) I am a burden to my parents, (3) I want to be the master of my own body, and (4) I grow up suffering from illness. Healthcare providers should offer more psychological support to adolescent Crohn disease patients and advise parents to shift more attention to the mental health of their children.