BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article
Front. Pediatr.
Sec. Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
A Qualitative Study on the illness experience and Coping Strategies of Young Adults with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Provisionally accepted
- First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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Objective To explore the disease experience and coping strategies of young adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to inform patient management. Methods 20 IBD patients aged 18 to 29 presenting for outpatient or inpatient treatment at the Gastroenterology Department of a tertiary hospital in Jiangsu Province between September 2023 and January 2024 were identified by purposive and snowball sampling and enrolled. A phenomenological approach was taken, semi-structured interviews conducted and interview data analyzed by Colaizzi's method. Results Three themes were identified: (1) complex negative emotions arising from disrupted daily life, restricted self-development, uncertainty and anxiety about the future and conflicts between the desire for independence versus the reality of dependence, (2) coping strategies that ranged from active coping to passive avoidance and (3) a multi-level need for external support from family, professionals and a wider social network. Conclusion Young adults with IBD experience complex negative emotional responses. Active coping strategies may fostered personal development that transcended their pre-illness sense of self in young adults with IBD. The need for multi-level external support was clearly expressed. A patient-centered approach which encourages self-sufficiency and self-management and promotes external support systems is recommended.
Keywords: coping strategies, Crohn's disease, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, young adults
Received: 25 Nov 2025; Accepted: 30 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Zhang, Ren, Ding and Yang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jeifeng Yang
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