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Alternative title

Masters Thesis

Date of Award

Spring 2025

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Department or Program Affiliation

Psychology

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Lehman, Barbara J.

Second Advisor

Lemm, Kristi M., 1971-

Third Advisor

Ciao, Anna

Abstract

Those with chronic gastrointestinal conditions tend to lack the social support they need to manage the complexities of their conditions. The current study sought to improve self-efficacy for those with chronic gastrointestinal conditions through a novel social support-based intervention. Participants had a professional diagnosis with at least one of the following six conditions: Crohn’s disease, fecal incontinence, functional dyspepsia, functional dysphagia, irritable bowel syndrome, and/or ulcerative colitis. Two hundred and sixty participants living in the United States were recruited online and completed a two-part intervention. Part one randomly assigned participants to watch one of four videos displaying different types of social support. In part two, participants completed an implementation intention exercise and created personalized plans to enact in future situations. Participants reported their pre- and post-intervention self-efficacy, perceived social support, and social support providers. A 2 (practical support: yes, no) X 2 (emotional support: yes, no) X 2 (time: pre-intervention, post-intervention) mixed analysis of variance revealed that participants’ self-efficacy increased after the intervention, but increases were not dependent on the social support type shown in the intervention. Perceived practical and perceived emotional social support did not moderate the relationship between social support type and post-intervention self-efficacy. Several potential explanations, limitations, and future directions are explored. This study uncovered valuable insights that can be used to build lasting treatment interventions for those with disorders of the gut-brain interaction and inflammatory bowel diseases.

Type

Text

Keywords

chronic gastrointestinal conditions, disorders of the gut-brain interaction, inflammatory bowel disease, social support, self-efficacy

DOI

https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/BCWFM

Publisher

Western Washington University

OCLC Number

1522948876

Subject – LCSH

Gastrointestinal system--Diseases--Treatment; Inflammatory bowel diseases--Treatment; Gastrointestinal system--Diseases--Psychological aspects; Inflammatory bowel diseases--Psychological aspects; Chronically ill--Social networks; Self-efficacy

Format

application/pdf

Genre/Form

masters theses

Language

English

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.

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