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January 23, 2026Journal of Crohn s and Colitis0 citations

N38 Trajectories of Post-traumatic Growth in patients with Crohn’s disease: A longitudinal qualitative study

Key Points

To explore the trajectories of post-traumatic growth in patients with Crohn’s disease over the first year post-diagnosis.
Longitudinal qualitative design conducted over one year.
Purposive recruitment of sixteen newly diagnosed Chinese Crohn’s disease patients.
Semi-structured interviews performed at 3, 6, and 12 months post-diagnosis.
Thematic analysis applied to identify PTG trajectories.
Identified four distinct post-traumatic growth trajectories: Rapid Growth Type, Gradual Growth Type, Limited Growth Type, and Growth-Decline Type.
Rapid Growth Type displayed significant PTG by three months with active self-management.
Gradual Growth Type demonstrated increasing PTG over the year with a sense of control established by month twelve.
Limited Growth Type exhibited little PTG due to mild symptoms or severe, uncontrolled symptoms.
Growth-Decline Type showed initial PTG followed by declining emotional well-being.

Abstract

Abstract Background Patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) not only suffer from the disease but may also experience post-traumatic growth (PTG). However, the dynamic course of PTG during the first year of their diagnosis remains unclear. Methods A longitudinal qualitative design was employed. Sixteen newly diagnosed Chinese CD patients were purposively recruited. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at 3, 6, and 12 months post-diagnosis. Thematic analysis was used to identify PTG trajectories over the one-year period. Results Four distinct PTG trajectories were identified (as shown in Figure 1): (1) Rapid Growth Type: Patients in this group actively acquired disease-related knowledge and developed self-management skills as early as three months post-diagnosis. Through positive cognitive processing, they achieved acceptance of the disease and reported substantial PTG. (2) Gradual Growth Type: PTG manifested and increased slowly over the year. These patients gradually gained a sense of control over their lives, which was typically consolidated around the 12-month mark. (3) Limited Growth Type: These patients did not achieve significant PTG. This outcome was attributed either to an early diagnosis, a mild disease course, and effective treatment, or conversely, to severe and persistently uncontrolled symptoms. (4) Growth-Decline Type: This patient showed initial PTG, but later reported increased negative emotions and an inability to accept the diagnosis, which ultimately resulted in a decline in PTG. Conclusion This first examination of PTG trajectories in Chinese patients with CD elucidates heterogeneity in longitudinal patterns of PTG. Future studies should investigate whether similar trajectories are observed in other populations and explore the association between distinct PTG pathways and subsequent mental and physical health outcomes. Conflict of interest: Chen, Lingxi: No conflict of interest Liu, Jinghan: No conflict of interest Zhou, Yunxian: No conflict of interest

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