Research

Does psychological status influence clinical outcomes in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other chronic gastroenterological diseases: An observational cohort prospective study

Antonina A Mikocka-Walus^1,6 , Deborah A Turnbull² , Nicole T Moulding³ , Ian G Wilson⁴ , Gerald J Holtmann⁵ and Jane M Andrews⁵

¹Discipline of General Practice, University of Adelaide, Level 3, Eleanor Harrald Building, Adelaide 5005, SA, Australia

²School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, Level 4, Hughes Building, Adelaide 5005, SA, Australia

³School of Social Work and Social Policy, University of South Australia, Magill Campus, H1-32, Magill 5068, SA, Australia

⁴School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC NSW 1797, Australia

⁵Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Wing Q7, Adelaide 5005, SA, Australia

⁶Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, The Alfred, Level 3, Burnet Tower, 89 Commercial Rd, Melbourne 3004, VIC, Australia

author email corresponding author email

BioPsychoSocial Medicine 2008, 2:11doi:10.1186/1751-0759-2-11

Published:	6 June 2008

Abstract

Background

Whether there is a temporal relationship between psychological problems and clinical outcomes in patients with diseases of the digestive tract has not been widely researched. Thus, our aims were 1) To observe and compare prospectively clinical outcomes in relation to psychological co-morbidity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and chronic hepatitis C (HCV) and, 2) To test the hypothesis that patients with psychological co-morbidities are less likely to have a satisfactory response to standard treatment at 12 months.

Methods

Overall, 139 patients were enrolled in this observational cohort prospective study. Over the ensuing year, physical and psychological measures were made at baseline and after 12 months (HADS, SCL90, SF-12 and disease activity measures). A logistic regression was conducted to observe any relationship between baseline characteristics and patients' clinical outcomes after 12 months.

Results

Overall, there was no relationship between psychological status and quality of life at baseline and relapse at 12 months (p > 0.05). However, patients with inactive disease at baseline were at lower risk of relapse after 12 months (OR = 0.046, CI: 0.012–0.178). No significant relationship was found between psychological problems such as depression/anxiety and a total number of relapses in the IBD group. However, interestingly, patients with an active disease at baseline tended to have a greater number of relapses (OR = 3.07, CI: 1.650–5.738) and CD participants were found at lower risk of relapse than UC participants (OR = 0.382, CI: 0.198–0.736).

Conclusion

In contrast to previous investigations, this study suggests that there is no temporal relationship between psychological problems at baseline and clinical outcomes over time. Longer and larger prospective studies are needed to better understand this result.