IBD patients face elevated psychiatric disorder risk

A nationwide Swedish cohort study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology found that patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) face a significantly higher risk of psychiatric disorders starting two to three years before diagnosis and lasting up to a decade after. The study, led by Jiangwei Sun of the Karolinska Institute, analyzed over 40,000 Swedish IBD patients diagnosed between 2007 and 2023, comparing them with nearly 180,000 general population controls and 26,000 IBD-free full siblings. The risk peaked within six months after diagnosis (50% increase) and remained elevated at 10 years (19% increase). The increased risk was driven mainly by major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, and substance misuse. The findings held even when compared with IBD-free siblings, suggesting shared familial factors do not fully explain the association. The study highlights the importance of integrating psychological care into routine IBD management and screening for psychiatric symptoms early during GI evaluation.