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. 2012 Apr;37(3):282-91.
doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsr092. Epub 2011 Nov 10.

Treatment adherence in adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease: the collective impact of barriers to adherence and anxiety/depressive symptoms

Wendy N Gray  1 , Lee A Denson, Robert N Baldassano, Kevin A Hommel
Affiliations

Treatment adherence in adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease: the collective impact of barriers to adherence and anxiety/depressive symptoms

Wendy N Gray et al. J Pediatr Psychol. 2012 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: Knowledge of factors impacting adolescents' ability to adhere to their inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) regimen is limited. The current study examines the collective impact of barriers to adherence and anxiety/depressive symptoms on adolescent adherence to the IBD regimen.

Methods: Adolescents (n = 79) completed measures of barriers to adherence, adherence, and anxiety/depressive symptoms at one of two specialty pediatric IBD clinics.

Results: Most adolescents reported barriers to adherence and 1 in 8 reported borderline or clinically elevated levels of anxiety/depressive symptoms. Anxiety/depressive symptoms moderated the relationship between barriers to adherence and adherence. Post hoc probing revealed a significant, additive effect of higher anxiety/depressive symptoms in the barriers-adherence relationship, with adherence significantly lower among adolescents with higher barriers and higher anxiety/depressive symptoms.

Conclusions: In order to optimize adherence in adolescents, interventions should target not only barriers to adherence but also any anxiety/depressive symptoms that may negatively impact efforts to adhere to recommended treatment.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Post hoc regression lines for associations between barriers to adherence and medication adherence as moderated by anxiety/depressive symptoms (a two-way interaction). b = unstandardized regression coefficient (i.e., simple slope); anx/dep = anxiety/depressive symptoms. **p < .001.
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