Girls connect: effects of a support group for teenage girls with inflammatory bowel disease and their mothers.

摘要

We bring to your attention a recent pilot intervention trial for girls with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) conducted by the staff of the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (CHP). The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia Chapter, received funding from the FISA Foundation (FISA is a foundation that provides grants to nonprofit organizations in southwestern Pennsylvania that improve the lives of women, girls, and people with disabilities) to initiate a support program for adolescent girls age 12-17 and their mothers, focused on enhancing coping skills and improving quality of life (QOL). Female caregivers were targeted since they were more likely involved in the daily care of their child's illness. The project received approval from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Institutional Review Board. Girls were recruited by the local CCFA chapter through a mailing and via the local CCFA website. Open enrollment was adopted to accommodate individuals who were unable to attend all of the meetings, but who expressed a desire to participate in the intervention, and informed consent was obtained from all participating mothers and daughters.