Maladaptive coping, low self-efficacy and disease activity are associated with poorer patient-reported outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease

Self-efficacy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: the effect of self-care education by two randomized methods-teach-back and a smartphone application

The use of the best teaching method to promote self-care in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has not been well defined. Therefore, the current study was conducted to compare the effect of self-care education by two methods of teach-back and a smartphone application. The current clinical trial with a pre- and post-test design was conducted among 78 patients with IBD. Patients were allocated to three groups of application, teach-back and control using a simple blocked randomization. Data were collected using a checklist for demographic information and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Self-efficacy Scale. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS. Participants in all three groups were homogeneous in terms of demographic variables. The mean pretest scores of self-efficacy (SE) in the application, teach-back and control groups were 191.37 ± 49.15, 193.92 ± 45.54 and 192.76 ± 43.12, respectively. The mean post-test scores of SE in the application, teach-back and control groups were 224.51 ± 49.89, 207.48 ± 48.109 and 189.92 ± 40.28, respectively (P = 0.033). The results of the current study showed that self-care education by the application can better improve the mean scores of SE and its four dimensions of managing stress and emotions, managing symptoms and disease, managing medical care and maintaining remission, compared to other methods. It seems that the use of the application as a continuous and cost-effective educational strategy will become widespread in the future for patient education among most healthcare and treatment systems.

Work Productivity Impairment in Persons with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The impact of inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] on work productivity remains unclear. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we quantify work-related outcomes and employment data among persons with IBD.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane library, Scopus, ProQuest, and clinicaltrials.gov from inception to February 2023, to identify studies on work productivity in persons with IBD aged > 18 years. Work productivity was defined primarily by the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment [WPAI] questionnaire which includes absenteeism, presenteeism, overall work impairment, and non-work activity impairment. In addition, we included data on employment, sick leaves, disability pensions, and indirect costs due to productivity loss. Pooled effect analysis was conducted using a random-effects model for pooled estimates of continuous and proportional data with 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

Among all patients with IBD, the pooled estimates were 16.4% for absenteeism, 35.9% for presenteeism, 39.4% for overall work impairment, and 46.0% for non-work activity impairment. Indirect costs from overall work impairment were 5131.09 euros/patient/year. Only two-thirds of IBD patients were employed, and one in three lost their jobs due to IBD. Among those employed, 39.5% report sick days, 21.3% report work disability, and 12.3% receive disability pensions. Most studies demonstrate clinically meaningful improvements in work productivity with medical and/or surgical therapies.

CONCLUSION

Persons with IBD experience significant work impairment and associated indirect costs. This highlights the need for appropriate workplace accommodations and timely medical therapy to alleviate the burden of disease and improve work outcomes.

What do you think caused your ALS? An analysis of the CDC national amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patient registry qualitative risk factor data using artificial intelligence and qualitative methodology

OBJECTIVE

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable, progressive neurodegenerative disease with a significant health burden and poorly understood etiology. This analysis assessed the narrative responses from 3,061 participants in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National ALS Registry who answered the question, "What do you think caused your ALS?"

METHODS

Data analysis used qualitative methods and artificial intelligence (AI) using natural language processing (NLP), specifically, Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) to explore responses regarding participants' perceptions of the cause of their disease.

RESULTS

Both qualitative and AI analysis methods revealed several, often aligned themes, which pointed to perceived causes including genetic, environmental, and military exposures. However, the qualitative analysis revealed detailed themes and subthemes, providing a more comprehensive understanding of participants' perceptions. Although there were areas of alignment between AI and qualitative analysis, AI's broader categories did not capture the nuances discovered using the more traditional, qualitative approach. The qualitative analysis also revealed that the potential causes of ALS were described within narratives that sometimes indicate self-blame and other maladaptive coping mechanisms.

CONCLUSIONS

This analysis highlights the diverse range of factors that individuals with ALS consider as perceived causes for their disease. Understanding these perceptions can help clinicians to better support people living with ALS (PLWALS). The analysis highlights the benefits of using traditional qualitative methods to supplement or improve upon AI-based approaches. This rapidly evolving area of data science has the potential to remove barriers to accessing the rich narratives of people with lived experience.

Mediating effect of coping dispositions on the association between trauma and gastrointestinal symptoms

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are two gastrointestinal (GI) conditions known to be exacerbated by traumatic life experiences. One way in which these experiences might influence individuals' susceptibility to GI pathology, is by reducing their ability to deal with adversities effectively and predisposing them to passive coping styles that leave them vulnerable to the somatic effects of trauma. To validate this hypothesis, the present cross-sectional study assessed the mediating effect of coping dispositions on the association between trauma and GI disease activity in an adult sample of 189 bowel patients (94 IBD, 95 IBS) and 92 controls. Results confirmed that GI patients exhibit significantly more cumulative trauma, pervasive feelings of uncontrollability and passive coping strategies than controls. Moreover, the use of passive coping styles was positively associated with the accumulation of trauma and the expression of GI symptoms. Using hierarchical regression and mediation analyses, we found support for the sequential model postulating passive coping styles as (partial) mediators of trauma-induced (GI) disease manifestations. Specifically, out of all coping styles associated with cumulative trauma, behavioural disengagement most powerfully mediated the effect of trauma on GI symptom severity, accounting for 12% (IBD) to 14% (IBS) of its total effect. A somewhat smaller mediating role was observed for social support coping, the reduced reliance on which explained 7% (IBS) to 10% (IBD) of trauma's total effect. Finally, neuroticism acted as a channel through which past traumatization affected subjects' proneness to behavioural disengagement and, consequently, their GI disease activity.

Disability, Physical Activity, and Their Correlates in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Portuguese Cross-Sectional Survey

Knowledge about disability and physical activity is critical for enhancing self- and clinical management of inflammatory bowel disease, but the interplay between the two is unknown. This study aimed to explore the correlates of disability and physical activity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in 2019 in Portuguese patients (n = 108) capturing disability, clinical factors including disease status and comorbidities, physical activity habits, and barriers. The magnitude of disability was moderate (mean [95% confidence interval] = 41.85 [38.39, 45.31]). Disease activity and comorbidities were the most important predictors of disability (Model 2, F(102) = 20.285, p < .001, R2 = 0.499, R2adj = 0.443). About 62% of the participants engaged in moderate (31.5%) to vigorous (30.6%) physical activities. Perceived effort to engage in physical activities was the sole predictor of total weekly physical activity (R2 = 0.070, R2adj = 0.044, p = .006). The amount of disability and physical activity were poorly associated (ρ = -0.144, p = .068). Findings encourage gastroenterology nurses and other healthcare providers involved in the comprehensive care of patients with gastrointestinal disorders to recommend regular physical activity to these patients as part of an overall health enhancement strategy. Disability and back pain should be given further attention.

Concordance and Discordance Between Patient-reported Remission, Patient-reported Outcomes, and Physician Global Assessment

BACKGROUND

Although validated patient-reported outcome (PRO) measurements can categorize patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) into clinical remission or active disease, patients may have different definitions of remission. The purpose of this study was to compare patient-defined remission to remission based on PRO measures and physician global assessment (PGA) and to understand the clinical and demographic factors associated with disagreements.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 3257 de-identified surveys from 2004 IBD patients who consented to participate in the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation's IBD Qorus Learning Health System between September 2019 and February 2021. We used logistic regression models with generalized estimating equations to analyze the clinical and demographic factors (eg, age, disease duration, health confidence) associated with discordance between patient-defined remission (yes/no) and PRO-defined remission for ulcerative colitis (UC; PRO2: stool frequency, rectal bleeding) and Crohn's disease (CD; PRO-3: average number of liquid stools, abdominal pain, well-being).

RESULTS

Among patients with UC, overall concordance was 79% between patient self-report and PRO2-defined remission and 49% between patient self-report and PGA-defined remission. Among patients with CD, overall concordance was 69% between patient self-report and PRO3-defined remission and 54% between patient self-report and PGA-defined remission. Patients in PRO-defined remission were more likely to report active disease if they had IBD <5 years and low health confidence. Patients with PRO-defined active disease were more likely to report remission if they were not using prednisone and had high health confidence.

CONCLUSION

Discordance exists between how remission is defined by patients, PRO measures, and PGA.

Stigma and its correlates among patients with Crohn's disease: A cross-sectional study in China

Objectives

Crohn's disease is an incurable disease characterized by unpredictable intestinal symptoms, which unavoidably affect patients' lives and contribute to feelings of stigma. This study aimed to explore the status and its correlates of stigma among patients with Crohn's disease.

Methods

Using a convenience sampling, 146 hospitalized patients with Crohn's disease were recruited in a tertiary hospital in Southern China from October 2020 to March 2021. The participants were assessed by demographic and disease-related questionnaires, the Social Impact Scale (SIS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease-Self-Efficacy Scale (IBD-SES), and Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS). Multivariate linear regression analysis was conducted to explore the influencing factors of stigma among patients with Crohn's disease.

Results

The mean SIS score was 58.14 ± 10.74, representing a moderate effect of stigma, and 85.6% (125/146) of the patients experienced moderate to high levels of stigma. The multiple linear regression analysis showed that perceived public awareness of the disease, family income, age, and self-efficacy were the main influencing factors of stigma, which could explain 52% of the total variation of stigma among patients with Crohn's disease.

Conclusion

Stigma among patients with Crohn's disease is influenced by perceived public awareness of the disease, family income, age, and self-efficacy. Interventions aimed at improving self-efficacy and public awareness should be considered to alleviate the level of stigma, especially for those aged 40 years or older or low-income patients.

Psychometric properties of patient-reported outcome measures assessing self-efficacy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A systematic review

AIMS

The aim of this study is to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the patient-reported outcome measure assessing self-efficacy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, and recommend the most robust measurement.

DESIGN

A systematic review of psychometric properties.

DATA SOURCES

We performed systematic electronic searches in the following databases from inception to 26 May 2022: PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO via OVID.

REVIEW METHOD

This review evaluated the tools' quality in accordance with the Selection of Consensus-Based Health Measurement Instruments 2018 system Evaluation guidelines.

RESULTS

Three patient-reported outcome measures were identified in the five included studies. The "IBD-yourself" questionnaire revealed very low evidence for a sufficient hypothesis test for construct validity, moderate evidence for insufficient internal consistency, and very low evidence for uncertain measurement error. Evidence from Inflammatory Bowel Disease Self-Efficacy Scale validated internal consistency, structural validity, criterion validity, and hypothesis test for construct validity. However, evidence of moderate quality corroborated this reliability. The Adolescents and Young Adults Inflammatory Bowel Disease Self-Efficacy Scale demonstrated very low evidence for sufficient internal consistency, moderate evidence for a sufficient hypothesis test for construct and content validity, and very low evidence for uncertain reliability.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with the other two measures, the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Self-Efficacy Scale has higher quality evidence of higher overall ratings for some of its psychometric properties, but there were some methodological problems that must be further studied to determine their quality.

IMPACT

It is uncertain whether a scale to assess self-efficacy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease has good measurement performance in clinical applications. This study first presents the methodological quality and psychometric properties of the self-efficacy scale used to assess patients with inflammatory bowel disease, which is based on the Consensus-Based Health Measurement Instruments standard. This study can help researchers and physicians decide which scale is the most suitable and reliable for patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Because this was a systematic review based on synthesizing information from previous studies, no human participants were included.

The Relationship between Physical Activity and Mental Depression in Older Adults during the Prevention and Control of COVID-19: A Mixed Model with Mediating and Moderating Effects

BACKGROUND

Several studies have found a strong relationship between physical activity and mental depression in older adults. Despite this, the social isolation, limited physical activity, and decreased social interactions caused by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic control measures of "home isolation and reduction unnecessary travel" had a significant mental impact on older adults.

OBJECTIVE

the goal of this study was to look into the complex effects of physical activity participation on mental health in older adults during COVID-19 prevention and control and the relationship between physical activity and mental depression in older adults through the mediating effect of self-efficacy and the moderating effect of social support.

METHODS

The Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3), the Center for Streaming Depression Scale (CES-D), the Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) were used to assess 974 older adults in five urban areas of Chengdu, China. The SPSS was used to analyze the collected data using mathematical statistics, linear regression analysis, and the AMOS to construct the research model.

RESULTS

The study's findings revealed that self-efficacy mediated the relationship between physical activity and mental depression in older adults (β = -0.101, 95%CI (-0.149, -0.058)), and social support moderated the relationship between physical activity and mental depression in older adults (t = -9.144, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Physical activity reduces psychological depressive symptoms in older adults and modulates psychological depression in older adults via the mediation efficacy of self-efficacy and the moderating effect of social support.

Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Worsened Health-Related Quality of Life of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease? A Longitudinal Disease Activity-Controlled Study

The present longitudinal study aimed to investigate the burden of disease activity change on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) during the two different pandemic waves in 2020 and 2021. A sample of 221 IBD patients (recruited during March-May 2020 for T0 and March-May 2021 for T1) was included. The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R)) and HRQoL (Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ)) were assessed. Post-traumatic COVID-19-related symptoms (IES-R) were not significantly different across the disease activity-related groups. Conversely, IBDQ was consistently higher in patients with persistent, quiescent disease activity compared to the other groups, as expected. Even after controlling for baseline IES-R, repeated-measures ANCOVA showed a non-significant main effect of time (p = 0.60) but a significant time-per-group interaction effect with a moderate effect size (η2 = 0.08). During the two different phases of pandemic restrictions, IBD-specific HRQoL was modified by disease-related factors such as disease activity, rather than by the post-traumatic symptoms of COVID-19. This lends further weight to the need for developing an evidence-based, integrated, biopsychosocial model of care for patients with IBD to identify subjective and objective factors that affect the burden of disease.

Self-efficacy of patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A review

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, recurrent, and incurable intestinal disease, which is easy to bring heavy physical and mental damage to patients, and self-efficacy is an important factor affecting physical and mental health. This article reviews the self-efficacy of patients with IBD, focusing on the measurement tools, influencing factors, influence on patients, and improvement measures, in order to provide reference for related research in the future.

The association of efficacy, optimism, uncertainty and health anxiety with inflammatory bowel disease activity

OBJECTIVE

Positive and negative psychological attributes have been shown to influence disease outcomes in many chronic health conditions. We aimed to evaluate the association between self-efficacy, optimism, health anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty and disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

METHODS

Adults with confirmed and recently active IBD enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Demographics, disease information, validated measures of psychological functioning related to general self-efficacy, optimism, health anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty were collected at baseline, week 26 and week 52. Clinical disease activity was assessed using the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Symptom Inventory (IBDSI), self-reported flares, and intestinal inflammation using fecal calprotectin (FCAL), collected at baseline, weeks 26 and 52. Generalized estimating equations were used to test the association between psychological functioning and disease activity.

RESULTS

Participants' (n = 154) mean age was 43.4 years (SD 12.5), 69.5% were women and 64.1% had Crohn's disease. Adjusting for demographic variables, higher self-efficacy was associated with lower likelihood of flare by self-report (odds ratio [OR] 0.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.71, 0.91) and IBDSI (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.80, 0.99), while higher health anxiety was associated with greater likelihood of flare by self-report (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.01, 1.18) and higher symptomatic disease activity (IBDSI; OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.05, 1.24). The psychological attributes were not significantly associated with active disease as measured by inflammation (FCAL).

CONCLUSION

General self-efficacy and health anxiety are relevant in understanding patient experience with disease activity, and may be appropriate targets for psychological intervention in the care of individuals with IBD.

The impact of gastrointestinal conditions on psychosocial factors associated with the biopsychosocial model of health: A scoping review

The increase in the prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions is an emerging global health concern. Studies of the impact on the lives of individuals living with GI conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) typically focus on biological elements, such as symptomology and treatment efficacy. Comparatively fewer studies have explored the psychological and social aspects of GI conditions, which could provide key information needed to better understand the impact of GI conditions on people and their lived experiences. In this review, existing literature concerning the psychosocial factors and well-being outcomes associated with GI conditions was reviewed using a scoping methodology. Sixty-eight studies were selected for inclusion. Of these studies, the well-being outcomes most frequently addressed, for both IBS and IBD, were quality of life and health-related quality of life, and the most frequently addressed psychosocial factors were social support and coping. These outcomes are largely consistent with those identified for other medical conditions explored using the biopsychosocial model of health, with some exploration of the lived experiences of those with a GI condition.

Self-efficacy and mental health problems during COVID-19 pandemic: A multiple mediation model based on the Health Belief Model

Confronting COVID-19 pandemic, one's health belief and behavior are essential to mental well-being. Thus conceived, this study applied the Health Belief Model to test the mediating effect of risk perception and coping strategies on the relationship between self-efficacy and mental health problems. Six hundred and eighteen participants aged 17-52 (117 males and 501 females) completed our web-based survey from February 7 to April 10, 2020. 12.6-15.1% of participants were affected by COVID-19 outbreak in varying degrees. The mediating effects of risk perception and active coping were significant, so was the serial mediating effect of risk perception and passive coping. Individuals with higher general self-efficacy were more likely to have lower risk perception, less passive coping strategies, more active coping strategies, and subsequently had less mental health problems. In conclusion, application of the HBM would help understand how mental health problems happen during an infectious disease epidemic, and the relationships among the HBM constructs need further investigation.

Understanding Gut Feelings: Transformations in Coping With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Among Young Adults

Past studies have revealed a dizzying array of coping techniques employed by persons living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Unfortunately, research has provided little insight into when and why individuals adopt or abandon particular coping strategies. Using a retrospective narrative approach, we explored how participants made sense of changes in their approach to coping over time. Shifts in coping strategies were associated with particular illness experiences that wrought new understandings of IBD and novel identity challenges. They followed a common processual form and were marked by a movement away from techniques of purification, normalization, and banalization toward the development of a more communicative body. This was accompanied by notable shifts in identity work. Notably, participants moved from a preoccupation with maintaining continuity and sameness to permitting their extraordinary bodies to occupy a place in their public and personal identities. Implications of this process for theory and practice are discussed.

Body Mass Index and Disease Activity Are Associated With Moderate to Severe Disability in Crohn's Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study in Shanghai

Background: The inflammatory bowel disease disability index (IBD-DI) was used to access body functional consequences and disease burden. However, Chinese population data are considerably limited.

Objective: We aimed to screen for disability in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and to assess potential associations with clinical parameters as well as indices related to sarcopenia.

Methods: This cross-sectional study includes 146 CD patients from Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai, China. All patients were screened for disability and sarcopenia on the basis of the IBD-DI scale, and the criteria for Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia, respectively. Clinical and demographic variables were collected.

Results: Approximately 52.05% of the subjects suffered from moderate or severe disabilities. The prevalence of sarcopenia (48.68 vs. 31.43%, P = 0.043), Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment score or PG-SGA≥4 (39.47 vs. 17.14%, P = 0.003), and high-level C- reactive protein (27.63 vs. 11.43%, P = 0.021) were higher in patients with moderate to severe disability than in those without to minimal disability. By multivariate regression modeling, the following were identified as independent factors related to moderate to severe disability: disease activity (OR:10.47, 95% CI: 2.09–52.42) and body mass index (BMI) (OR:4.11, 95% CI: 1.80–9.38).

Conclusions: Disability is common in CD patients. Our study showed that moderate to severe disability is not directly associated with muscle mass or muscle quantity but is mostly correlated with disease activity as well as BMI. Thus, close monitoring and follow-up should be conducted on patients who are at high risk of disability, and effective measures should be taken, which may be the best way to prevent disability.

Egypt's second wave of coronavirus disease of 2019 pandemic and its impact on patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Background and Aim

After a decrease of COVID‐19 cases in summer, Europe faced the appearance of a COVID‐19 second wave. IBD patients are more vulnerable to various emotional and psychological stresses than normal individuals. The aim of this study explored the emotional state, perception, and coping strategies of patients with IBD during the COVID 19 pandemic period.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted between 15 November and 15 December 2020. Patients presented to IBD Study Group Clinic, Department of Tropical Medicine, Ain Shams University Hospitals. The study included 105 IBD patients. A predesigned questionnaire was used that focused on patients’ knowledge of the COVID‐19 pandemic, and how it influenced patient care. Patient demographics, disease characteristics, and medication type were analyzed.

Results

We found 10.5% of patients stopped or delayed their medications owing to the COVID‐19 pandemic second wave and 61% reported that their clinic visits were affected. Seven patients were tested, and two patients reported having been diagnosed with COVID‐19, and 18 patients reported having relatives diagnosed with COVID‐19.

Conclusion

A considerable number of patients with IBD had an interruption to their care because of the second wave COVID‐19 pandemic. So, patients with IBD should take attention before, during, and after such pandemics to avoid undesirable disease‐related outcomes.

Pain management in inflammatory bowel disease: feasibility of an online therapist-supported CBT-based self-management intervention

BACKGROUND

Chronic pain is a poorly managed symptom of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has an evidence base in functional gastrointestinal conditions and chronic pain. This study aimed to test the feasibility and acceptability of a 9-week online facilitator-supported CBT intervention, tailored for people with chronic IBD-related pain.

DESIGN

A single-arm pre-post design with nested qualitative interviews was used. Twenty individuals with IBD and chronic pain were recruited through an online IBD charity and had consented to research in a previous survey or responded to an online charity advert. Individuals who indicated a pain-interference score of ≥ 4/10 (Brief Pain Inventory) and met inclusion criteria were invited to take part. Outcomes included recruitment and retention rates, pain interference and severity, quality of life (QoL) and psychosocial measures.

RESULTS

Of 145 individuals contacted, 55 (37.9%) responded. Two individuals were recruited from the study advertisement. Twenty out of 57 (35.1%) met screening and eligibility criteria. Eighty-five percent of the sample engaged with intervention sessions and 55% completed at least 5/9 sessions. Eighty percent of recruited participants completed the post-intervention questionnaire at week 9. The mean score for overall acceptability was 43.4 (0-70). Qualitative feedback demonstrated the value of thought monitoring and facilitator support. Scores improved for QoL and pain self-efficacy and reduced for depression, anxiety, pain catastrophising and avoidance resting behaviour.

CONCLUSIONS

Online CBT for chronic IBD-related pain appears feasible and acceptable. The study suggests positive effects for improving QoL and reducing psychological distress; however, online and face-to-face recruitment methods are recommended and establishing efficacy through larger randomised controlled trials is required.

Prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a lifelong condition with no cure. Patients with IBD might experience symptoms of common mental disorders such as anxiety and depression because of bidirectional communication via the gut-brain axis and chronicity of symptoms, and because of impaired quality of life and reduced social functioning. However, uncertainties remain about the magnitude of this problem. We aimed to assess prevalence of symptoms of anxiety or depression in adult patients with IBD.

METHODS

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, Embase Classic, and PsycINFO for papers published from inception to Sept 30, 2020, reporting observational studies that recruited at least 100 adult patients with IBD and that reported prevalence of symptoms of anxiety or depression according to validated screening instruments. We excluded studies that only used a structured interview to assess for these symptoms and studies that did not provide extractable data. We extracted data from published study reports and calculated pooled prevalences of symptoms of anxiety and depression, odds ratios (OR), and 95% CIs.

FINDINGS

Of 5544 studies identified, 77 fulfilled the eligibility criteria, including 30 118 patients in total. Overall, pooled prevalence of anxiety symptoms was 32·1% (95% CI 28·3-36·0) in 58 studies (I²=96·9%) and pooled prevalence of depression symptoms was 25·2% (22·0-28·5) in 75 studies (I²=97·6%). In studies that reported prevalence of anxiety or depression in patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis within the same study population, patients with Crohn's disease had higher odds of anxiety symptoms (OR 1·2, 95% CI 1·1-1·4) and depression symptoms (1·2, 1·1-1·4) than patients with ulcerative colitis. Overall, women with IBD were more likely to have symptoms of anxiety than were men with IBD (pooled prevalence 33·8% [95% CI 26·5-41·5] for women vs 22·8% [18·7-27·2] for men; OR 1·7 [95% CI 1·2-2·3]). They were also more likely to have symptoms of depression than men were (pooled prevalence 21·2% [95% CI 15·4-27·6] for women vs 16·2% [12·6-20·3] for men; OR 1·3 [95% CI 1·0-1·8]). The prevalence of symptoms of anxiety (57·6% [95% CI 38·6-75·4]) or depression (38·9% [26·2-52·3]) was higher in patients with active IBD than in patients with inactive disease (38·1% [30·9-45·7] for anxiety symptoms and 24·2% [14·7-35·3] for depression symptoms; ORs 2·5 [95% CI 1·5-4·1] for anxiety and 3·1 [1·9-4·9] for depression).

INTERPRETATION

There is a high prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with IBD, with up to a third of patients affected by anxiety symptoms and a quarter affected by depression symptoms. Prevalence was also increased in patients with active disease: half of these patients met criteria for anxiety symptoms and a third met criteria for depression symptoms. Encouraging gastroenterologists to screen for and treat these disorders might improve outcomes for patients with IBD.

FUNDING

None.

Application of the common sense model in inflammatory bowel disease: A systematic review

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The aim of this paper was to undertake a systematic review of the research utilizing the Common Sense Model (CSM) involving IBD cohorts to explain the psychosocial processes, including illness perceptions and coping styles, that underpin patient reported outcomes (PROs) - psychological distress (PD) and quality of life (QoL).

METHODS

Adult studies were identified through systematic searches of 8 bibliographic databases run in August 2020 including Medline, Embase, and PsychINFO. No language or year limits were applied.

RESULTS

Of 848 records identified, 516 were selected with seven studies evaluating the CSM mediating pathways for final review (n = 918 adult participants). Consistent with the CSM, illness perceptions were associated with PD and QoL in six and five studies respectively. Illness perceptions acted as mediators, at least partially, on the relationship between IBD disease activity and PD and/or QoL in all seven studies. Coping styles, predominantly maladaptive-based coping styles, were found to act as mediators between illness perceptions and PD and/or QoL in five studies. Perceived stress was identified in one study as an additional psychosocial process that partially explained the positive influence of illness perceptions on PD, and a negative impact on QoL. Five studies were classified as high quality and two as moderate.

CONCLUSIONS

The CSM can be utilised in IBD cohorts to evaluate key psychosocial processes that influence PROs. Future research should explore additional psychosocial processes within the CSM and evaluate the efficacy of targeting CSM processes to promote psychological well-being and QoL in IBD cohorts.

A cross-sectional survey on the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on inflammatory bowel disease patients in Saudi Arabia

Background/Aims

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused significant disruption to patients with chronic illnesses. We explored the emotional state, perception, and concerns of Saudi patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) during the crisis.

Materials and Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional survey from 30 March to 5 April, 2020 using a pre-designed questionnaire distributed through social media platforms to IBD patients. The five-part questionnaire included an assessment of psychological wellbeing using a previously validated Arabic version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), which includes domains for anxiety (HADS-A) and depression (HADS-D). A logistic regression analysis was used to uncover possible associations between patient characteristics and anxiety and depression.

Results

The data from 1156 IBD patients were analyzed. Normal, borderline, and HADS-A scores consistent with a diagnosis of anxiety were reported by 423 (36.6%), 174 (15.1%), and 559 (48.4%) patients, respectively. However, 635 (69%) patients had normal scores and 273 (30.1%) had borderline HADS-D scores; no patients reported scores consistent with depression. Based on a multiple logistic regression analysis, patients educated till a high school diploma (OR = 2.57, 95% CI: 0.09-6.05, P = 0.03) and that had indeterminate colitis (OR = 2.23, 95% CI: 1.27-3.89, P = 0.005) were more likely to express anxiety.

Conclusions

Many patients expressed symptoms of anxiety, although not depression. Female patients, patients educated till a high school diploma, and those with indeterminate colitis were more likely to have anxiety. IBD patients require greater attention during a pandemic to avoid adverse disease-related outcomes.

Risk of neutropenia in inflammatory bowel disease patients treated with TNF inhibitors: A single-center, retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND/AIM

Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) have become the mainstay of treatment in moderate-to-severe cases of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Neutropenia has been reported in patients receiving TNFi for IBD and other diseases. In this study, we aimed to ascertain the relationship between the use of TNFi and the development of neutropenia in patients with IBD.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective cohort study including all adult patients with IBD receiving TNFi at a tertiary care center over an 11-year period. The primary outcome was the development of any neutropenic episode after starting a TNFi. For our secondary outcomes, we evaluated the impact of concomitant use of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) or an immunomodulator on the risk of developing neutropenia.

RESULTS

The final analysis included 281 patients. Of those included, 34.2% developed at least one episode of neutropenia while on a TNFi. The majority of these episodes (67.7%) were mild with ANC between 1000 and 1500/mm3. No significant difference was observed in the age, gender, agent used or type of IBD between those who developed neutropenia and those who did not. Concomitant use of azathioprine (OR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.26-4.28; P = 0.007) or 5-ASA (OR = 3.15, 95% CI: 1.55-6.39; P = 0.001) were significant independent predictors of developing neutropenia.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, mild neutropenia was common among patients with IBD on TNFi. Future prospective studies are required to further clarify the significance of neutropenia in patients with IBD receiving TNFi.

Disability and quality of life before and during the COVID-19 outbreak: A cross-sectional study in inflammatory bowel disease patients

BACKGROUND/AIM

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disorder affecting patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) which adds to their disability. Little is known about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HRQoL of IBD patients. We aimed to evaluate HRQoL in IBD patient's pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic using the IBD-disk questionnaire and explore associations between socio demographic factors, disease types, severity and impaired HRQoL in patients with IBD.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care centre in Saudi Arabia between November 2019 and March 2020 at the outpatient IBD clinics. The HRQoL of patients was assessed using the 10-item IBD-disk questionnaire.

RESULTS

A total of 59 IBD patients (40 Crohn's disease, 19 Ulcerative colitis) with a mean disease duration of 3.5 years were included. Most of the patients (77.97%) were on biologics while 35.59% were on immune modulators, 16.94% on 5-ASA, and 3.38% were on corticosteroids. There was no difference between any of the 10 IBD-disk variables pre and post-COVID-19 pandemic apart from the perception of body image, where there was a slightly more negative perception with an increase from 2.53 to 3.39 (P = 0.05) There was no significant difference in HRQoL between patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease in any of domains.

CONCLUSION

The current study showed that disability and HRQoL appears to be unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic among our cohort, however further studies with longer follow up and larger sample size is needed.