Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression Symptoms in Patients With Ulcerative Colitis in Remission: A Latin American Perspective

Background:
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at risk of developing symptoms of common mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression, due to the bidirectional gut-brain axis and chronic symptomatology. However, the magnitude of this issue remains unclear, particularly in Latin America. This study aims to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in adult patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) in remission in Mexico, where data is scarce.
Methods:
We conducted a study of 38 UC patients in remission (26 women, 12 men) with a mean age of 42.9 years between January 2024 and June 2024. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to evaluate symptoms of anxiety and depression, with a score ≥11 indicating positivity in each subgroup.
Results:
The majority of patients were women (68.4%), with a mean age of 42.9 years (range 20-73) and a mean disease duration of 6.8 years. Prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms: Anxiety: 36.84% (14 patients, 4 men, 10 women), Depression: 26.3% (10 patients, 3 men, 7 women). Both symptoms: 10 patients and no symptoms: 63.16% (24 patients).
Conclusions:
The prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms is high in patients with IBD, affecting up to a third of patients. All patients with anxiety and/or depression had a history of fecal incontinence. Affected men reported sexual performance issues and most affected women reported decreased sexual desire. Screening and treating these disorders may improve outcomes for patients with IBD. Gastroenterologists should be encouraged to address these issues.