School of Medicine and Health Sciences Poster Presentations

Poster Number

307

Document Type

Poster

Status

Medical Student

Abstract Category

Psychiatry/Mental Health

Keywords

Resilience, Comorbidity, ADHD, Anxiety, Chronic Health Condition

Publication Date

Spring 2018

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Resilience, the ability to overcome adversity and effectively recover from stressful experiences, is a complex theory with many contributing factors. Previous studies have shown that condition-specific summer camps for children with chronic health conditions increase resilience and adaptive coping skills, change attitudes toward the illness, and improve quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine how neuropsychiatric comorbid diagnoses such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disability, and anxiety disorder influence the resilience of children with chronic health conditions.

METHODS: Children with chronic health conditions including autism, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, Tourette’s syndrome, sickle cell anemia, neurofibromatosis, congenital heart disease, and type 1 diabetes attended Brainy Camps of Children’s National Health System and participated in this study between 2010-2016. Sixty-seven participants ages 7-17 completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) questionnaire pre- and post-camp. Parents of participants reported presence of comorbidities including ADHD, learning disability, and anxiety disorder. Averages for pre- and post-camp CD-RISC scores were taken for participants with ADHD, learning disability, or anxiety disorder, and were compared to scores for control participants without each comorbidity.

RESULTS: Averages for all groups indicated an increase in resilience scores. The increase was 10.27 points on the CD-RISC for the 35 participants without ADHD, and 7.95 points for the 32 with ADHD. The increase was 7.61 points for the 30 participants without learning disability, and 5.98 points for the 37 with learning disability. The increase was 8.36 points for the 47 participants without anxiety disorder, and 6.38 points for the 20 with anxiety disorder.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrated a positive shift in resilience for all participants with chronic health conditions who attended Brainy Camps. However, the results indicated larger improvements in resilience for participants without comorbid diagnoses of ADHD, learning disability, or anxiety disorder. Therefore, children with chronic health conditions who also have these neuropsychiatric comorbidities have more challenges developing resilience. One limitation of this study is possible false reporting of comorbid diagnoses from parents. Further research is needed to explore how interventions such as residential summer camps can also impact self-management and health outcomes of children with chronic health conditions.

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Presented at GW Annual Research Days 2018.

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Resilience of Children with Chronic Health Conditions: The Impact of Neuropsychiatric Comorbidities

BACKGROUND: Resilience, the ability to overcome adversity and effectively recover from stressful experiences, is a complex theory with many contributing factors. Previous studies have shown that condition-specific summer camps for children with chronic health conditions increase resilience and adaptive coping skills, change attitudes toward the illness, and improve quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine how neuropsychiatric comorbid diagnoses such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disability, and anxiety disorder influence the resilience of children with chronic health conditions.

METHODS: Children with chronic health conditions including autism, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, Tourette’s syndrome, sickle cell anemia, neurofibromatosis, congenital heart disease, and type 1 diabetes attended Brainy Camps of Children’s National Health System and participated in this study between 2010-2016. Sixty-seven participants ages 7-17 completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) questionnaire pre- and post-camp. Parents of participants reported presence of comorbidities including ADHD, learning disability, and anxiety disorder. Averages for pre- and post-camp CD-RISC scores were taken for participants with ADHD, learning disability, or anxiety disorder, and were compared to scores for control participants without each comorbidity.

RESULTS: Averages for all groups indicated an increase in resilience scores. The increase was 10.27 points on the CD-RISC for the 35 participants without ADHD, and 7.95 points for the 32 with ADHD. The increase was 7.61 points for the 30 participants without learning disability, and 5.98 points for the 37 with learning disability. The increase was 8.36 points for the 47 participants without anxiety disorder, and 6.38 points for the 20 with anxiety disorder.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrated a positive shift in resilience for all participants with chronic health conditions who attended Brainy Camps. However, the results indicated larger improvements in resilience for participants without comorbid diagnoses of ADHD, learning disability, or anxiety disorder. Therefore, children with chronic health conditions who also have these neuropsychiatric comorbidities have more challenges developing resilience. One limitation of this study is possible false reporting of comorbid diagnoses from parents. Further research is needed to explore how interventions such as residential summer camps can also impact self-management and health outcomes of children with chronic health conditions.

 

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