Psychological app support for young people with functional disorders
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluating a digital application designed to support young people with gastrointestinal functional disorders: a feasibility study
IRAS ID
335406
Contact name
Andrew Keen
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 10 months, 31 days
Research summary
Many young people experience uncomfortable sensations in their stomach such as pain, nausea and increased toileting, yet have no underlying medical disease. These are conditions are commonly called functional gastrointestinal disorders. Functional gastrointestinal disorders can cause substantial difficulties for young people, and their families. These challenges include poor emotional wellbeing, school absence, disengagement from peers and hobbies, as well as regular attendance at appointments in primary and secondary care services.
As there is no underlying disease, there is no agreed effective drug treatments. There is systematic review evidence that cognitive behavioural therapy is an effective treatment. However, overall, few young people have access to psychological interventions designed to help those with this specific difficulty. There is a substantial workforce challenge which constrains the ability of healthcare organisations to deliver face-to-face psychological therapy. Moreover, whilst there is empirical evidence that digital products such as computerised cognitive behaviour therapy is effective, we have no products on the market tailored for the challenges of this population.
The aim of this project is to establish if it is possible to run a definitive, multi-site randomised controlled trial exploring whether a specially designed interactive digital health app based on cognitive behavioural approaches can help young people more skilfully manage their symptoms, improve emotional wellbeing and help them engage meaningfully in their lives.
REC name
South East Scotland REC 01
REC reference
24/SS/0035
Date of REC Opinion
22 Apr 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion