Does a Coeliac School increase psychological well‐being in women suffering from coeliac disease, living on a gluten‐free diet?

Aim and objective. To assess the effects of an active method of patient education on the psychological well‐being of women with coeliac disease in remission. Background. Despite remission with a gluten‐free diet, adults with coeliac disease and especially women experience a subjective poor health. Self‐management education seems to be promising tool to help patients suffering from coeliac disease to cope with their disorder. Design. A randomised controlled trial. Methods. A total of 106 women, ≥20 years, with confirmed coeliac disease, who had been on a gluten‐free diet for a minimum of five years. The intervention group (n = 54) underwent a 10‐session educational programme, ‘Coeliac School’, based on problem‐based learning. The controls (n = 52) received information regarding coeliac disease sent home on a regular basis. The primary outcomes were psychological general well‐being measured with a validated questionnaire. Results. Participants in the Coeliac School reported a significant improvement in psychological well‐being at 10 weeks, whereas the controls given usual care reported a worsening in psychological well‐being. After six months, a significant improvement remained for the index of vitality. Conclusions. Patient education increased psychological well‐being in women with coeliac disease. There is a need to refine the methods of patient education to make the effects of well‐being more pronounced over time. Relevance to clinical practice. Patient education using problem‐based learning promotes self‐management in coeliac disease by improving the well‐being of patients who have been struggling with the gluten‐free diet for years.