Abstract

Gastrointestinal (GI) conditions such as (irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)) are increasingly prevalent (Molodecky et al., 2012). The global prevalence of IBS ranges between 3 to 22% of the population (Basandra & Bajaj, 2014). The prevalence of IBD exceeds 0.3% globally (Ng et al., 2017). The biomedical model has been the dominant framework to explore health conditions; its suitability for GI conditions is limited because it ignores psychological and social factors within health. Two biopsychosocial models (Engel, 1977; Drossman, 2016) were implemented in this thesis to evaluate the influence of GI conditions on wellbeing. Research questions aimed to address psychosocial aspects of GI conditions, including psychosocial factors and wellbeing outcomes, and how these may vary across active/remission stages.
Three studies comprised the thesis construction, which used mixed methods. Study 1 was a scoping review to understand the breadth of existing literature and knowledge of IBS and IBD on psychosocial factors and wellbeing outcomes. Study 2 was a series of interviews with individuals diagnosed with IBS or IBD; it aimed to understand their lived experiences of these conditions. Study 2 outcomes informed the hypotheses guiding study 3, which required participants to complete published survey measures of SWB, negative emotions, HRQOL, coping and social support to further explore participant’s experiences. Study 3 also explored the emotion recognition ability of those with IBS and IBD and how this may relate to social support.
Findings supported the use of the biopsychosocial model as a theoretical lens for the investigation and explication of IBS and IBD. The unique contribution to the existing
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evidence base surrounding knowledge of GI conditions were the focus on presently under-researched areas within the field. These included the remission experiences of those with IBS and IBD, and potential links between social support and relationships on emotion recognition. Recommendations from this research include increased workplace support for individuals with GI conditions, greater focus on psychosocial experiences during remission, and future research is co-produced with those affected by GI conditions. The outcomes of this research will be of potential importance to individuals with IBS and IBD, health researchers and health practitioners in relation to extending knowledge and raising awareness of the study outcomes.