Psychological aspects of inflammatory bowel disease

Background: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are known to have a poorer quality of life (QoL). However, there has been little research into which psychological constructs are associated with QoL amongst people living with IBD. This is important, since psychological constructs may represent potentially modifiable factors for improving patient outcomes.

Methodology: A systematic search of Embase, Psychinfo, Cinahl and Assia was conducted to find studies that had tested the association between QoL and psychological constructs in IBD samples. Studies were screened according to inclusion criteria.

Results: 11 Studies were identified, all of cross-sectional design. Illness Perceptions (IPs), Maladaptive Coping, Meaning in life, Resilience, Self-efficacy, sense of coherence, body appreciation, neuroticism and defence mechanisms were reported to be significantly associated with quality of life. IPs and Coping were most widely investigated, whilst some constructs were only examined by one study. Limitations of respective studies are discussed.

Conclusions: The correlational design of studies reviewed prevented inferences from being drawn about causality. However, findings present a case for future research to further investigate the relationship between psychological constructs and QOL, with a view to exploring potentially targetable areas for intervention within IBD healthcare teams.