There is a high prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a review published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology. Investigators conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of data from studies of at least 100 adult patients with IBD that reported on the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety or depression. Based on 77 eligible studies (30,118 patients), the pooled prevalence of anxiety symptoms was 32.1% in 58 studies; the pooled prevalence of depression symptoms was 25.2% in 75 studies. Among studies that reported prevalence of anxiety or depression in patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, patients with Crohn’s disease had higher odds of anxiety symptoms (odds ratio [OR], 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1 -1.4) and depression symptoms (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1-1.4) compared with patients with ulcerative colitis. Women were more likely than men with IBD to have symptoms of anxiety (pooled prevalence: 33.8% for women vs 22.8% for men; OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2-2.3). Women were also more likely than men to have symptoms of depression (pooled prevalence: 21.2% for women vs 16.2% for men; OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.0-1.8).
