An Exploration of Help-seeking Experiences of Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease From Healthcare Professionals: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) presents ongoing physical, psychological, and social challenges that can significantly affect quality of life. Despite this, little is known about how individuals with IBD seek help from healthcare professionals. This study used a qualitative descriptive design and latent pattern content analysis of semi-structured interviews (n = 8) to explore how individuals living with IBD seek help from healthcare professionals to manage challenges associated with their condition. The study adheres to the COREQ guidelines. Many participants delayed seeking help until symptoms interfered with daily activities, raised concern about severity, or others encouraged them to seek care. Reasons for delaying help-seeking included not seeing the symptoms as emergent, competing demands and priorities, or uncertainty about whether symptoms were IBD-related. Decisions around who to seek help from were shaped by prior experiences and perceived effectiveness of previous healthcare encounters. Physical symptoms often had a negative effect on participants' psychological wellbeing. While some participants accessed online support, another emphasized the need for integrated psychological care within IBD services. Findings highlight that patients with IBD frequently navigate physical, psychological, and social challenges but predominantly seek help for physical symptoms. This study strengthens the need for routine inclusion of psychological support within specialist IBD care.