Let's Go Camping!: Understanding the Positive Psychosocial Impact of Summer Camp for Children and Adolescents with Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Diseas

Introduction: While there is considerable research that has explored the psychosocial impact of summer camp for children and adolescents with chronic illness, there is minimal work that has explored the impact of this intervention among children and adolescents with pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Furthermore, the existing literature base is limited by methodological constraints, including infrequent utilization of a comparison control patient population and minimal long-term follow-up. Exploring these constructs within the context of potentially relevant but unexplored outcome variables may provide clinicians with an opportunity to tailor the summer camp experience in a manner that would increase its therapeutic capacity by implementing empirically informed intervention strategies.;Method: A longitudinal, case-controlled study design was implemented. Participants were recruited from 2014 CCFA Camp Oasis participants (Intervention Group) and patients and families who presented to the Pediatric IBD Outpatient Clinic at St. Louis Children's Hospital (Control Group). Study participation was conducted entirely online and consisted of both parent and child-report measures. Outcome variables included in this assessment included measures of meaning making, post-traumatic growth, symptoms of medical traumatic stress, event-related rumination, psychosocial function, illness perception, health-related quality of life, social connectedness, and loneliness. Both parent and patient participants completed assessments prior to camp participation, after camp participation, and in regular 3-month intervals thereafter.;Results: 36 families recruited from CCFA Camp Oasis cohort completed both parent and patient assessment measures at baseline. Unfortunately, recruitment of the control group from St. Louis Children's Hospital was difficult and ultimately unsuccessful. As a consequence, the results consisted of data gathered from camp participants alone. Preliminary analyses demonstrated that 1) many participants reported clinically significant symptoms of medical traumatic stress secondary to an IBD diagnosis, 2) patients with Crohn's disease reported significantly poorer psychosocial function related to their peers with UC, 3) patients with a prior history of camp participation reported greater emotional function, and 4) patients who are prescribed a concurrent psychotropic medication are at risk for significantly poor outcome. Primary analyses demonstrated that camp participation was associated with a significant improvement in measures of psychosocial function, health-related quality of life, emotional function, school function, general psychosocial health, and personal strength. There were no demographic and/or disease-related variables that acted as significant moderators of post-camp improvement in function. Secondary analyses demonstrated that many of the improvements demonstrated at post-camp assessment were lost and/or not-sustained 3 months after participation. That said, camp participation was significantly associated with a significant improvement in measures of medical traumatic stress as well as emotional function.;Conclusions: Camp participation is associated with a significant improvement in many measures of psychosocial function. While progress made in emotional function and symptoms of medical traumatic stress were sustained and present 3-months after participation, the gains for health-related quality of life and general psychosocial function were not sustained over time. Patients with new a new IBD diagnosis, who have been diagnosed with Crohn's disease, or who are currently prescribed a psychotropic medication are at high risk for poor psychosocial outcome, and should be followed closely by a comprehensive medical and mental health team.