Transforming Behavioral Health Care to Improve the Quality of Life for Individuals with Childhood-Onset Lupus
Abstract
Childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (childhood-onset lupus) is a chronic autoimmune disease diagnosed prior to 18 years of age. People diagnosed in childhood are at a greater risk of severe illness. People with childhood-onset lupus often experience depression, anxiety, fatigue, and pain. These symptoms can affect their health and reduce their quality of life. Fortunately, these symptoms can be improved with appropriate care and support. Yet people with childhood-onset lupus often fail to receive such care. Our team has created a brief and tailored 6-session weekly program, Treatment and Education Approach for Childhood-onset lupus TEACH to help people with childhood-onset lupus. TEACH uses cognitive behavioral therapy and can be delivered in person or remotely. We have found more than 90% of people who enroll in TEACH complete it. TEACH improves aspects of emotional health and physical health immediately after the program is completed. There is a clear benefit to TEACH with no known risk. Unfortunately, TEACH is not available to most with childhood-onset lupus. We would like to make TEACH available as part of routine medical care. Our research team includes physicians, scientists, people with lupus and their family. We are working with multiple rheumatology clinics in the US and Canada. At each site, we will train members of the rheumatology team (e.g., nurses, social workers) to serve as mental health champions. The champions will receive training in TEACH and will deliver it to people who need it. Our goal is to test how TEACH works in real world settings. These results will help us to design better programs to reach more people with lupus, to help them to feel better, and to improve the quality of their lives. The study aims to learn: (1) How TEACH impacts emotional health and physical health of people with childhood-onset lupus. (2) How TEACH impacts emotional health in patients with childhood-onset lupus over time (1 year). (3) How best to incorporate TEACH into routine clinical care. This proposed study aligns well with the focus areas of the Department of Defense Lupus Research Program. By training champions in TEACH, we expect to improve the physical and emotional health of people with childhood-onset lupus. We believe this study will transform care and improve quality of life for such patients.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 04, 2024
- Source ID
- HT94252310937
Entities
People
- Natoshia Cunningham
Organizations
- Michigan State University
- United States Army