Dr Lesley Graff and colleagues from Canada compared a community inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) sample of individuals with a matched non-IBD community sample of individuals on psychological functioning and health perceptions.

The team compared 388 participants in the population-based Manitoba inflammatory bowel disease Cohort Study with sex-, age-, and region-matched controls from a national random-sample health survey on the aspects of psychological health, coping, and perceived general health.

The researchers found that the inflammatory bowel disease sample had lower psychological well-being and mastery, as well as higher distress than did the non-inflammatory bowel disease controls. 

Those with inflammatory bowel disease used avoidant coping significantly more often, and active coping modestly more often than did the non-inflammatory bowel disease sample.

The research team noted that both had similar levels of 'self-soothing' behaviors. 

Patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis had similarly poor levels of functioning along these dimensions compared with the non-inflammatory bowel disease  sample, as did those with active disease. 

The team found that those with inactive disease were similar to the non-inflammatory bowel disease sample, and had modestly higher mastery levels. 

In comparison, the research team observed that nearly half of the non-inflammatory bowel disease group reported chronic health conditions, and those with inflammatory bowel disease were 3-fold more likely to report poorer health. 

Psychological factors explained a greater amount of variance in perceived health for the inflammatory bowel disease than for the non-inflammatory bowel disease sample.

Dr Graff's team concluded, “Those with inflammatory bowel disease have significantly poorer psychological health than do those without inflammatory bowel disease, and view their general health status more negatively, although adaptive stress-coping strategies were similar.” 

“However, when disease is quiescent there is little detriment to functioning.” 

“Active disease should be a flag to consider psychological needs in the care of an inflammatory bowel disease patient.”