Continuum of Care
- Prevention
- Treatment
- Continuing Care
Life stage
- Prenatal
- Early Childhood
- Middle Childhood
- Adolescence
- Emerging Adulthood
- Young Adulthood
- Middle Adulthood
- Later Adulthood
The Supportive Care for Adolescents and Young Adults with Crohn’s and Colitis and their Carers (CAYAC) Trial will evaluate whether a psychological, restorative, movement and nutritional program improves youth and carer quality of life and mental health.
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are incurable and life-limiting gastrointestinal disorders, with peak onset between 15-29 years. Adolescents and young adults face the burden of disease at a critical stage of life, disrupting growth, puberty, education and psychosocial development. Over 50% report psychological distress.
Recruitment will begin in 2028.
The study is funded by a Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grant.
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (types of inflammatory bowel disease, IBD) are incurable and life-limiting gastrointestinal disorders. Symptoms are unpredictable and debilitating, and include abdominal pain, bloody diarrhoea, frequent bowel movements (up to 30 per day), fatigue, and anaemia. IBD strikes early, with peak onset between 15-29 years. Adolescents and young adults face the burden of IBD at a critical stage of life, disrupting growth, puberty, education and psychosocial development.
Crohn’s and colitis in youth are notoriously difficult to manage, with current best treatment (biologics) failing to induce remission in nearly 70% of cases. For many young people, this means enduring relentless symptoms, repeated hospitalisations, and an uncertain future despite receiving the best available care. More than 1 in 3 Australian youth with Crohn’s and colitis have been hospitalised in the past year. Over 40% of parents of youth with IBD report high caregiver burden, poor quality of life (QoL) and elevated stress. Australia’s care of youth with IBD falls short of the national standards and the Australian IBD National Action Plan, which mandate access to multidisciplinary services.
What the research involves
We will deliver psychological (CBT-informed psychotherapies, gut-directed hypnotherapy, peer-support), restorative (yoga and nature therapies), movement (physical activity) and nutritional (nutritional education) programs tailored to youth QoL and mental health. CBT-informed psychotherapies will be delivered via telehealth by provisional psychologists (live via Zoom, delivered individually), while hypnotherapy, peer-support, restorative, movement and nutritional programs will be recorded.
For carers, we will deliver recorded psychological (CBT, mindful parenting, peer support) and restorative (yoga and nature therapies) programs for parents/carers of youth with IBD, which will target their QoL and mental health.
Eligible participants will be randomly allocated to either the Waitlist Group or the Intervention Group.
Meet the team
- Antonina Mikocka-Walus
- Subhadra Evans
- Simon Knowles
- Edward Giles
- Liliana Orellana
- Lisa Olive
- Elizabeth Westrupp
- Emma Halmos
- Melissa O’Shea
- David Skvarc
- Nikki McCaffrey
- Leanne Raven
- Anna Klas
- Emma Marshall
- Leesa Van Niekerk
- George Alex
- Ajay Sharma
- Shoma Dutt
- Mariko Howlett
- Lauren Beswick
- Heidi Staudacher
- Wayne Massuger
- Chris Ludlow
- Clement Wong
- Drew Aras
- Helen Jurgens
- Shannon Bennetts
- Danielle Mosterd
- Lily Blake
- Eric O
- Chatpakorn Prasertsung