Is there a connection between depression and inflammatory bowel disease? A systematic review
Is there a connection between depression and inflammatory bowel disease? A systematic review

Summary/Abstract: Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of inflammatory conditions affecting the digestive tract, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the principal types. Among the many symptoms characteristic of IBD, it is worth noting, that the symptoms of psychiatric disorders are often neglected in the therapeutic process. IBD’s impact on the patient’s assessment of quality of life has been proven. Aim of the study: The purpose of this article is to review the literature in regard to inflammatory bowel diseases in which depression occurs and whether there is a connection between them. We also discussed various ways of treating depression in IBDs. Material and Methods: The analysis covers the papers found in the PubMed database. The search was conducted using the following keywords: “Inflammatory bowel diseases AND depression” (1,598 results), “Crohn’s disease AND depression” (892 results), and “ ulcerative colitis AND depression” (823 records). Articles were analyzed with a particular emphasis on the most recent publications. Results: A total of 51 articles out of 3313 qualified for the review. There is a significant connection between the occurrence of depression in the course of IBDs. However, because of the similarity of the symptoms associated with both diseases, the depression diagnostic process is difficult, and thus, the number of patients diagnosed with depression is undervalued. Conclusions: Depression in IBDs is an important problem, it can exacerbate the symptoms and lower the patient’s quality of life. To improve the holistic care of IBD patients, physicians should implement screening using widely available short scales or a few additional questions during an interview.

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