Perspectives on care and support for young adults with a stoma v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the perspectives of young adults with a stoma and healthcare professionals about access to psychological care and support: A qualitative study
IRAS ID
217059
Contact name
Kay Polidano
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Keele University
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 30 days
Research summary
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammation of the gut which sometimes requires stoma surgery for its management. Previous research suggests that having a stoma can negatively affect people's body image, self-esteem, intimate relationships, lifestyle and sense of identity. This can result in psychological problems; varying from mild feelings of distress to more significant issues, like depression and anxiety. Such issues may be more significant in young adulthood (18-29 years) given the social pressures that can affect this age-group, e.g. starting work, college/university, forming new relationships, etc. Despite these challenges, issues related to emotional and mental wellbeing are not frequently addressed in the care of this patient group. Furthermore, although stoma patients are under the care of different care professionals in both primary and secondary care, the link between these two remains unclear and it seems that patients are often unsure about the roles of each healthcare provider, and who to seek help from for psychological needs. This qualitative study aims to shed light on ways to enhance access to care and support, as well as identifying opportunities to integrate primary and secondary care services. Interviews with up to 25 young adults and 12 healthcare professionals will be conducted, to explore their views on the psychological needs of this population and access to care and support.This study will be undertaken as a 3-year PhD research project.
REC name
West Midlands - Coventry & Warwickshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/WM/0236
Date of REC Opinion
3 Aug 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion