IBD Camp Oasis: A look at Participants' Social-Emotional Well-Being and Protective Factors During Camp and Beyond

Namita Singh; Steven J Steiner; Rebecca Fauth; Danyel Moosmann; Janis Arnold; Abdul Elkadri; Daniel Marinoni; Laurel Molloy; Becky Johnson Rescola; Jeanne Tung; Elizabeth C Utterson

doi:10.1093/crocol/otad042

IBD Camp Oasis: A look at Participants' Social-Emotional Well-Being and Protective Factors During Camp and Beyond

Crohns Colitis 360. 2023 Aug 24;5(3):otad042. doi: 10.1093/crocol/otad042. eCollection 2023 Jul.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Co-Director of Pediatric IBD Center, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington-School of Medicine, Seattle, USA.
² Professor of Pediatrics, Riley Hospital for Children, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA.
³ Research Associate Professor, Co-Director, Tufts Interdisciplinary Evaluation Research (TIER), Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development, Tufts University, Medford, USA.
⁴ Project Manager | Tufts Interdisciplinary Evaluation Research (TIER), Tufts University, Medford, USA.
⁵ Clinical Social Worker, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Boston, USA.
⁶ Pediatric Gastroenterology, Assistant Professor, the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA.
⁷ Associate Director, Camp Oasis, Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, New York, USA.
⁸ Technical Advisor, Camp Oasis, Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, New York, USA.
⁹ Vice President, Education & Community Engagement, Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, New York, USA.
¹⁰ Associate Professor, Pediatric Gastroenterology, the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Oklahoma City, USA.
¹¹ Associate Professor, Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology Director of Procedures, Washington University Physicians, St Louis, USA.

Abstract

Background: Camp Oasis is an annual week-long camp serving children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and hosted by the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. Youth with IBD are at increased risk for mental health challenges, with Camp Oasis potentially mitigating these risks. The aim of this study is to measure change in and predictors of social-emotional well-being and protective factors of self-worth as a result of attending Camp Oasis.

Methods: Between 2012 and 2019, a voluntary survey was administered to participants and their caregivers to reflect on their perceptions of social/emotional well-being and protective factors related to chronic disease. T-tests compared change in participants' and caregivers' perceptions before and after camp; path analyses examined the key predictors of social-emotional well-being.

Results: A total of 6011 online surveys were analyzed. Participants and caregivers reported consistently positive perceptions of participants' experiences during and after camp. Significant improvements in confidence, independence, activity, comfort around others, being more open about disease, and taking medication as expected were observed. Being new to Camp Oasis was one of the strongest predictors of both disease-related self-efficacy and social connections after camp.

Conclusions: The uniformly high rates of participants' perceptions during camp suggest camp is a life-changing experience for youth with IBD, reduces disease-related stigma, and enhances confidence and social skills. Participants' positive experiences appear to foster notable benefits after camp in terms of openness, their sense of belonging, connections, and confidence.

Keywords: Crohn’s disease; IBD; camp; mental health; pediatric IBD; ulcerative colitis; well-being.