Chronic Illness Open Trial of a Group Adaptation of the Children’s Health and Illness Recovery Program (CHIRP)

Abstract

Objective: Youth with chronic medical conditions are at risk for adverse psychosocial outcomes. The Children’s Health and Illness Recovery Program (CHIRP), a roughly 12-week manualized cognitive behavioral therapeutic (CBT) intervention for youth with chronic medical conditions, has demonstrated efficacy as an individually delivered treatment for improving functioning and reducing psychosocial problems. The present study investigated outcomes of CHIRP delivered in a group format, which may offer additional benefits for access, efficiency, and social support. Method: Participants were recruited from pediatric healthcare provider referrals of youth who had a chronic illness, no developmental disability, spoke English, and were aged 12–18 years. Participants included 37 adolescents and their parents across ten separate groups. Paired t-tests were used to compare pre- and post-treatment results of measures assessing functional disability, health-related quality of life, and impairment. Results: Adolescents and parents reported significantly reduced impairment, disability, and improved health-related quality of life from pre- to post-treatment. Clinically significant differences in health-related quality of life were reported for 24 out of 37 parents from pre- to post-treatment. Conclusions: Findings suggest that the CHIRP group intervention is an effective treatment for improving functioning and quality of life in pediatric patients with chronic illness. Future research should explore long-term follow-up of these findings.

Implications for Impact Statement

This study details an efficient and effective group treatment for improving functioning and health-related quality of life in teens’ chronic illnesses that could be used in a range of medical settings.