Up to one third of patients with inflammatory bowel disease experience anxiety, and one quarter have symptoms of depression, a systematic review and meta-analysis shows.
The authors of the analysis recommend GI physicians screen patients for anxiety and depression and refer them to a psychologist for consideration of treatment, Reuters Health reported.
The authors searched through September 2020 for observational studies with IBD patients who reported prevalence of anxiety or depression symptoms.
The pooled prevalence was 32.1 percent for anxiety symptoms and 25.2 percent for depression symptoms.
Overall, women with IBD were more likely than men to have symptoms of anxiety and depression, and the prevalence of symptoms was higher in patients with active versus inactive IBD.