Depression: Does it cause inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)?

If you’re depressed or anxious, do you dramatically increase your chances of developing an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis?

Researchers have discovered a clear link between depression and the disease – but they’re not sure if the depression causes IBD or if it’s a consequence of it.

A research team from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg assessed the health profiles of 351 IBD patients, and compared them with 779 healthy individuals.  IBD sufferers had far higher levels of panic disorder, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and major depression.  They were twice as likely as healthy people to suffer from depression.

Research team leader Charles Bernstein noticed that around one-third of all IBD sufferers had their anxiety disorder or mood disorder diagnosed at around the same time their disease was diagnosed.

(Source: American Journal of Gastroenterology, 2008; 103: 1989-97).