Background: Psychiatric co-morbidities including depression and anxiety are common in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Emerging evidence suggests that interactions between the gut microbiota and brain may play a role in the pathogenesis of psychiatric symptoms in IBD.
Aim: To review the literature on microbiota-brain-gut interactions in gut inflammation, psychosocial stress and mental disorders and to discuss the putative mediating role of gut microbiota in the development of psychiatric symptoms or co-morbidities in IBD.