Young People’s experiences of living with endocrine conditions.

Background: The management of endocrine conditions can be
problematic and have a detrimental impact on mental wellbeing. Despite
the large number of young people with a range of endocrine conditions,
research is limited on the psychological and physical impact of the
conditions on their daily lives.
Aim: To explore the lived experiences of young people aged 10 to 25 with
endocrine conditions regarding condition management and psychosocial
symptoms.
Methods: Nine young people aged 11 to 25 years (all female) took part in
semi-structured interviews about the impact of their condition. Data were
explored using thematic analysis.
Findings: Three themes were identified: impact on daily life (including
condition management, organisation, impact on work and education,
understanding and support and limited independence); impact on
relationships (formation and maintenance, both with health professionals
and key close individuals); and an uncertain future (future limitations and
restrictions, and future changes in the conditions).
Conclusions: Multiple factors impact on the lived experiences of young
people with endocrine conditions. There is a need for greater information
and training for both health professionals and education providers around
the biopsychosocial impact of endocrine conditions on young people.