Psychosocial Support of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patient.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, debilitating disease whose effects spread far beyond the gut. IBD does not generally result in excess mortality; health care providers should thus focus their efforts on improving health-related quality of life and minimizing associated morbidity. A bidirectional relationship exists between IBD and psychiatric conditions; chronic inflammation can produce neuromodulatory effects with resultant mood disorders, and the course of IBD is worse in patients with anxiety and depression.