Promoting Health in Adolescents and Families Affected by Chronic Illness
Pediatric Psychology Research Team
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Faculty Advisor: Rachel Neff Greenley PhD

Students working within this research team focus on several projects related to promoting adherence to treatment and positive adjustment among teens with chronic medical conditions and their families.

Lab News:

• Welcome to Jennifer Walter and Molly Mishler, doctoral students joining the team in Fall 2011!

•  "RFU Shrinks IBD" (our Research Team) raised $350 to support the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America during the 2011 Taking Steps Walk held at Miller Park in Milwaukee.

• Congratulations to Ashley Allis and Amitha Prasad Gumidyala who received Psychology Department Travel awards to present posters at the National Conference on Pediatric Psychology in San Antonio TX in April 2011

• Congratulations to Amitha Prasad Gumidyala who successfully defended her master's thesis in Spring 2011 titled: Predictors of Health-Related Quality of Life in Pediatric IBD

Current Projects:

SUCCESS Study: This longitudinal study is being conducted in conjunction with researchers at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and Children's Mercy Hospital. We are examining disease-related, individual, and family factors associated with oral medication adherence among 11-18 year olds with inflammatory bowel disease. The goals of this study are to identify barriers to adherence that can inform intervention efforts and to examine the natural trajectory of adherence over time using electronic monitoring technology.

PHONE Study: This randomized clinical trial is being conducted in collaboration with researchers at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. We are evaluating the feasibility and acceptability of a phone-delivered problem solving intervention in reducing barriers to oral medication adherence in the context of inflammatory bowel disease.

Current Research Funding:

• Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America Senior Research Award # 2838 to Rachel Neff Greenley (PI) Funding Period: 7/2011 – 6/2013

Recent Conference Presentations

• Pain and School Functioning in Pediatric IBD Presented at 2012 Pediatric Behavioral Health Conference
• Patterns of Paternal and Youth Involvement in Pediatric IBD Presented at 2012 Pediatric Behavioral Health Conference
• Social Support and HRQoL in Pediatric IBD Presented at 2012 Society for Research on Adolescence Meeting

Graduate Student Involvement in Research:

• Graduate students participate in a variety of research activities, including conducting in person and phone adherence interviews and assessments, delivering manualized phone intervention sessions, authoring conference abstracts and posters, and collaborating in manuscript development.

• Current Graduate Students:

Samina Ahmed Samina is a 2nd year student in the masters program in clinical counseling. Her research interests focus on assessing the impact chronic illness can have on a daily life including: perceived stigmatization, quality of life, and medication adherence. She is also interested in how parental relationships and parental involvement can affect the child's ability to adhere to their prescribed medication. Samina graduated from DePaul University in Chicago.

Ashley Allis  Ashley is a 2nd year student in the masters program in clinical counseling, who came to RFUMS from DePaul University. Her research interests focus on how family functioning impacts psychosocial adjustment in youths with chronic medical conditions.

Amitha Prasad Gumidyala, M.A. Amitha is a 4th year student in the doctoral program who is a graduate of Northwestern University. Amitha's research interests include health related quality of life, social support, and transition to adult care in IBD.

Eve Nguyen. Eve is a 2nd year student in the masters program in clinical counseling. Eve is a graduate of UC-San Diego. Eve's research interests focus on understanding white coat adherence and the role of family communication in youth adjustment in pediatric IBD.

Andrew Rosen, M.A.  Andrew is a 5th year student in the doctoral program whose research interest focus on pain catastrophizing in patients with chronic pain.

Molly Mishler Thomason.  Molly is a first year student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program. She received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Following graduation, she began working on her Master's in Clinical Psychology from Argosy University in Schaumburg. Her research interests include the integration of health psychology topics with neuropsychological data. More specifically, she hopes to one day perform studies examining the role of reward pathways and addictive processes involved in obesity.

Jennifer Walter. Jennifer is a first year student in the Clinical Psychology Doctoratal Program. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg in 2009. Her research interests include medication and medical regimen adherence among pediatric chronic disease populations.

• Undergraduate Students:
  

  A number of undergraduate students from area universities including Marquette University and Lake Forest College are also members of the research team. Current undergraduate students include: Frannie Lorenzi, Lauren Benjamin, Hannah Dries, Kyle Kinderman, Melanie Kazinski, Curt Shumaker, and Kaila Stephens.

• Recent Student Conference Posters and Presentations:
  

  • Allis, A., Kunz, J. H., Gumidyala, A. P., Rosen, A., Stephens, M., & Greenley, R. N. (2011, April). Family functioning and internalizing symptoms in youths with inflammatory bowel disease. Poster presented at the 2011 National Conference on Child Health Psychology, April 14-16, 2011, San Antonio, Texas.

  • Allis, A., Gumidyala, A., Rosen, A. & Greenley, R. N. (2011, May). Family functioning and psychological adjustment in children with inflammatory bowel disease. Poster presented at the 2011 Midwestern Psychological Association Conference, May 5-7, Chicago, Illinois.

  • Allis, A., Runion, H., Mueller, D. G. & Jason, L. A. (2010, April). The Oxford House family concept: Children as a positive influence for residents. Poster presented at the SCRA affiliated meeting of Midwestern Psychological Association Conference, Chicago, IL.

  • Gumidyala, A. P., Kunz, J. H., & Greenley, R. N. (2011, April). Barriers to medication adherence and health-related quality of life in pediatric IBD. Poster presented at the 2011 National Conference on Child Health Psychology, April 14-16, 2011, San Antonio, Texas Hauser Kunz. J., Greenley, R.N., *Lamb, S., *Massura. C., & Stephens, M. (2010, March). Identifying Perceived Barriers to Adherence Among Adolescents With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Using the Illness Management Survey. Poster presented at the Society for Research on Adolescence Biennial Meeting, March 11-13, 2010, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

  • Lamb, S., & Greenley, R. N. (2010, April). Parental involvement in the treatment regimen of adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease. Poster presented at the Midwest Psychological Association Meetings, April 29 – May 1, Chicago, Illinois.

  • Massura, C., & Greenley, R. N. (2010, March). Examining the Relationship of Demographic and Family Factors with Attendance in a Pediatric Weight Management Program. Poster presented at the Wisconsin Psychological Association Convention 2010, March 18-20, 2010.

  • Rosen, A., Gumidyala, A. P., Allis, A., Greenley, R. N., & Stephens, M. (2011, April). Supplemental caregiverinvolvement and medication adherence of youths with inflammatory bowel disease. Poster presented at the 2011 Society for Behavioral Medicine Meetings, April 27-30, 2011, Washington, D. C.

  • Swanson, E., Greenley, R. N., & Stephens, M. (2011, February). Psychosocial correlates of pain in adolescents in inflammatory bowel disease. Poster presented at the 4th Annual Interdisciplinary Pediatric Behavioral Health Research Conference, February 25, 2011, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

  • Swanson, E., Kunz, J. H., Greenley, R. N. & Stephens, M. (2011, April). Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of abdominal pain and psychosocial functioning in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. Poster presented at the 2011 National Conference on Child Health Psychology, April 14-16, 2011, San Antonio, Texas.

  • Greenley, R. N., Gumidyala, A. P., Rosen, A., Biank, V., Martinez, A., Miranda, A., Noe, J., Telega, G., Werlin, S., & Stephens, M. (2010, October). Discrepancies in self-reported and objective thiopurine adherence in teens with IBD. Poster presented at the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, October 21-24, 2010, New Orleans, LA.

Recent Lab Photos:

Research team members at the Taking Steps for CCFA Walk in June 2011