Factors contributing to depression and/or anxiety:
(1) increased disease activity
(2) psychiatric effect of drugs, such as corticosteroids
(3) concurrent stress
(4) shame, stigma or sense of guilt
(5) difficulty accepting or adjusting to the diagnosis
(6) impaired social support
Impact of anxiety and depression:
(1) inversely correlated with the patient's quality of life.
(2) severe psychological distress may exacerbate disease symptoms
(3) may affect the patient's adherence to the therapeutic regimen
Any patient with IBD should be screened for both anxiety and depression, even when in remission.
