Risk factors of anxiety and depression in inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Little is known in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) regarding risk factors for psychological distress. The aim of this work was to study the disease characteristics and socioeconomic factors associated with anxiety and depression in IBD.

Methods: From December 2008 to June 2009, 1663 patients with IBD (1450 were members of the Association Francois Aupetit, French association of IBD patients) answered a questionnaire about psychological and socioeconomic factors and adherence to treatment. In this study we focused the analysis on the characteristics of IBD (type, location, severity, treatment) and socioeconomic factors (professional, educational, and marital status and Evaluation of Precarity and Inequalities in Health Examination Centers [EPICES] score of socioeconomic deprivation; score established in medical centers in France; http://www.cetaf.asso.fr) associated with depression and anxiety. Anxiety and depression were assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Comparison between groups according to the existence of depression or anxiety was carried out using univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results: In all, 181 patients (11%) were depressed; 689 patients (41%) were anxious. By multivariate analysis, factors associated with anxiety were: severe disease (P = 0.04), flares (P = 0.05), nonadherence to treatment (P = 0.03), disabled or unemployed status (P = 0.002), and socioeconomic deprivation (P < 0.0001). Factors associated with depression were: age (P = 0.004), flares (P = 0.03), disabled or unemployed status (P = 0.03), and socioeconomic deprivation (P < 0.0001).

Conclusions: In this large cohort of IBD patients, risk factors for anxiety and depression were severe and active disease and socioeconomic deprivation. Psychological interventions would be useful when these factors are identified.