World News – AU – Depression associated with bowel disease

A new study has found that depression is more common among people with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis in the years before their diagnosis.

Researchers from St.George’s University London, Imperial College London, University College London and Kings College London have studied the records of fifteen thousand people with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, known as inflammatory bowel disease or IBD

More vigilance is required during a pandemic because the usual signs of low mood anxiety or depression are difficult to detect over the phone Professor Sonia Saxena, author of the study

They found that patients were more likely to have depression up to nine years before the inflammatory bowel disease diagnosis, compared to people who had not been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease can lead to abdominal pain, diarrhea, or rectal bleeding, and many people live with these gastrointestinal symptoms for years before they are diagnosed. This study examined the link between depression and the chance of developing IBD later

People who reported gastrointestinal symptoms prior to developing depression were 40% more likely to develop inflammatory bowel disease compared to people without depression.

However, individuals with depression but no prior gastrointestinal symptoms were not more likely to have IBD compared to non-depressed individuals.

The study indicates that depression itself is not a risk factor for developing inflammatory bowel disease, yet people with depression and previous digestive symptoms may be more likely to develop Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

Study author Dr. Jonathan Blackwell of Imperial College of Public Health and St George’s University in London explained: “The relationship between depression and inflammatory bowel disease is unclear, but it is possible that some individuals will develop depression as a result of the digestive symptoms they suffer from before the disease is diagnosed. With IBD If you are depressed with abdominal pain, diarrhea or rectal bleeding, see your doctor and get tested because there may be a treatable cause. « 

Professor Sonia Saxena, co-author of the study from the Imperial College of Public Health, said: “The main message for physicians and physicians is to think comprehensively when patients report feeling anxious or depressed in the presence of diarrhea, abdominal pain or rectal bleeding – could it be All of these things are related to an underlying condition like inflammatory bowel disease?  »

Now, more than ever, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative to devise strategies to ensure the timely diagnosis of these bowel conditions to protect the physical and mental health of people Professor Richard Pollock, study author

More vigilance is needed during a pandemic because the usual signs of low-mood anxiety or depression are difficult to detect over the phone and easily perceived as related to the current global crisis.

Professor Richard Pollock, co-author of the study from St George’s University, London, added: “People are more likely to become depressed while living with undiagnosed bowel symptoms of Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis now, more than ever, during the COVID-19 pandemic. 19, Strategies to ensure the timely diagnosis of these bowel conditions are necessary to protect the physical and mental health of people. ”

“Depression in Individuals who Later on with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Case and Control Study” published in the journal Gut

Ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and inflammatory bowel disease