Mental Health Experiences of Adolescents and Young Adults with Inflammatory Bowel Disease During Transition to Adult Care: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Objective To explore the mental health experiences of adolescents and young adults (AYA) with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) enrolled in a randomized controlled trial evaluating the impact of a multimodal transition intervention. Study design Virtual semi-structured interviews were held with 21 AYA aged 16 through 18 years with IBD. Guided by qualitative description, interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using an inductive approach to reflexive thematic analysis. Results Three themes were generated from the data: 1) a continuum of integration between IBD and personal identity in adolescence and young adulthood, 2) manifestations of the mind-gut connection among AYA with IBD, and 3) hopes and priorities for addressing mental health in IBD care. Conclusions AYA with IBD endorsed the criticality of incorporating mental health discussions into routine care during the transition to adult care, given the co-occurrence of psychosocial stressors throughout this period. A series of factors promoting and hindering the integration of IBD into one's identity were identified and could be explored in clinical encounters.