MedWire News: Psychological distress - a generalised term for anxiety and depression - significantly affects the quality of life of patients with inflammatory bowel disease, research shows.

"Quality of life is affected by disease-related factors but also by other factors, which are independent of the disease activity or course," explain Dr Angela Vidal, from Hospital Clínic de Barcelona in Spain, and colleagues. "However, these factors remain largely unknown."

They add: "By establishing predictors of quality of life one can identify those patients with a higher probability of suffering difficulties during the course of the illness, and consequently help in defining more appropriate therapeutic strategies and goals."

The researchers therefore studied whether psychological factors and personality affect the quality of life of patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

They studied 147 outpatients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis who underwent a variety of psychological tests to assess depression levels, anxiety levels and personality traits.

The team also assessed each participant's quality of life, and disease activity and severity using a questionnaire.

In total, 45% of the participants scored eight points or more on the depression and anxiety tests, indicating a 'possible' psychological disorder, while 16% scored 11 points or more, indicating a 'probable' psychological disorder.

Analysis revealed that these patients had significantly poorer quality of life than those without significant levels of anxiety or depression.

As expected, increased disease activity and frequency was also associated with poorer quality of life among the patients.

However, the team found no evidence to suggest that personality traits were linked to quality of life in the participants.

Writing in the journal Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Dr Vidal and team conclude: "The presence of psychological distress in inflammatory bowel disease patients contributes to poor quality of life, along with inflammatory bowel disease clinical activity.

"Controlling and minimising the symptoms of the disease, along with identification and treatment of psychopathology [psychological disorders], should become integral aspects of inflammatory bowel disease care to improve quality of life of these patients."