Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis tied to anxiety and depression

Published 12 Jan 2016

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis – both gastrointestinal diseases – have been tied to anxiety and depression. In a previous study researchers found that not only is Crohn’s disease tied to depression but that depression can increase inflammatory flare-ups related to Crohn’s.

The study involved 3,150 Crohn’s patients who completed online questionnaires in regards to their disease, treatment and its affect on their daily lives. Patients were also asked how often they felt sad, hopeless, or worthless.

Patients with high depressions scores were 50 percent more likely to experience a Crohn’s flare-up after 12 months compared to those with the lowest depression scores.

Even after researchers adjusted for other factors depression still remained to be linked with Crohn’s flare-ups.

Lead author Lawrence Gaines said, “Our study suggests that feelings of sadness and thoughts of helplessness, hopelessness and worthlessness can affect the risk of disease flares in people with Crohn’s disease. For these patients, what they think about themselves may be related to a very real medical outcome.”

The researchers note the importance of doctors talking to their patients about depression and depression-like symptoms as it could have a negative impact on the patient’s disease and overall health.

Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis increases anxiety disorder risk

Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitisAnother study found that Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis could increase the risk of anxiety disorders. Lead author of the study, Esme Fuller-Thomson, said, “Patients with IBD face substantial chronic physical problems associated with the disease. The additional burden of anxiety disorders makes life much more challenging so this ‘double jeopardy’ must be addressed.”

For the study researchers looked at 269 Canadian adults diagnosed with inflammatory bowel diseases. The researchers found that those diagnosed with inflammatory bowel diseases were two times more likely to experience generalized anxiety disorder at some point in their lives compared to adults without a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Furthermore, the risk was seen to be four times higher in women compared to men.

Study co-author, Joanne Sulman, added, “The study draws attention to the need for routine screening and targeted interventions for anxiety disorders. Particularly among the most vulnerable patients with IBD: women, individuals who are in chronic pain, and those with a history of childhood sexual abuse.”

Assistant professor Patrick McGowan concluded, “We sometimes think of the two as if they are entirely separate entities but the reality is they are intimately linked. Both involve genuine physical changes in the body and affect each other.”

8 comments

mr chipps • Ambassador

on 22/01/2016

Hi Tazzy

i take several medications for my health problems, and know that some of them can be counter productive due to their side effects

one of these is Azathioprine, which is commonly used for helping to stop rejection in people who have under gone transplant surgery. it help me but has made my immune system much worse, and me more liable to infections and other health problems

like you i suffer from wind and extreme bloating, which can make things hard to do. i have never thankfully had the offer of a colostomy and hope that i never have to have one, as i know people who are living with them and they not only affect them physically, but also emotionally. plus as you mention they are irreversable and can lead to further problems through infetions of the bowel , from waering a colostomy.

so i hope that your health improves and that you may find ways of coping with your IBS/UC conditions

i take just under 20 tablets a day ,but have learnt to live with them and enjoy my life through my hobbies and voluntary work.

please feel free to contact me again,if i can help

Keith (mr chipps the poet)

Unregistered member

on 14/04/2018

Hi Tazzbar,

Sorry to hear of your sufferings over Christmas. I have watched my husband get progressively more and more ill over the past 15 years, suffering severely the symptoms of what is identified as severe and complex Crohn's disease.

The times when he is the most well is when he is eating according to his eating plan which was formulated by a dietician specializing in IBD. One of the key needs is protein however digesting protein comes with its own problems so we have been advised to use easy to digest protiens such as low fat sausage, burgers, protein drinks and anything that is minced or slowly stewed so as to make it easy to break down and extract the nutrients.

I hope you can take something away from our experience and good luck with managing your condition. My husband suffered terribly for four years before having a stoma and says its the best thing he ever had.

All the very best.

Tazzbar

on 15/04/2018

I have just discovered Acidophilis , stops me running to the loo every 5 mins, obtainable on line or Holland and Barrett

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