Society: AGA

Psychosocial instability is integral to the disease course and illness experience of IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) patients. Nearly 1/3 of IBD patients experience elevated anxiety symptoms and 1/4 experience depression symptoms. There is evidence that comorbid depression and anxiety may have detrimental effects on disease prognosis and relapse in IBD patients, based on longitudinal studies tracking outcomes over time. Also, there is indication that low resilience in adolescence could be a risk factor for developing IBD and that enhancing resilience may improve mental health and disease outcomes in IBD. Interestingly, studies suggest key role of the gut dysbiosis in psychological disorders including PTSD like its role in IBD-suggesting a complex role of the gut-brain crosstalk in IBD risk and disease prognosis. Elevated mental health concerns have been consistently associated with greater healthcare utilization and costs related to IBD, however the causal association is not well understood, and thus not part of the routine clinical management. This session will focus on the potential association between the mental health and IBD in disease risk and prognosis and building a consensus that mental health must be addressed as part of comprehensive IBD care for children and adults.

Christopher Lowry

University of Colorado Boulder

Appearances

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Mental Health

Moderators