In this new article, published in the journal of Quality of Life Research, Pam, Bernie and their team present the results of their 'Being Me With IBD' study. They asked 130 young people who have Crohn's or Colitis - the two main forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) - about their feelings of depression, anxiety, loneliness, friendship quality, and embarrassment.
They found that experiencing more severe symptoms, such as tummy pain, was related to developing mental health problems.
Essentially, their research shows that an unpredictable bout of disease activity -such as a flare -causes anxiety and embarrassment about symptoms like pain, belly noises, incontinence and/or need to rush to the toilet. This leads to not wanting to take part in social activities and this can lead to loneliness and poor mental health.
The team's next steps include developing information sheets for parents of adolescents and young adults with Crohn's or Colitis. These aim to help support them in engaging in open and honest discussion about their conditions. We're really thrilled that Bernie and her team will be presenting this work as an interactive 'virtual poster' at our next IBD Patient and Public Involvement in Research Day on Saturday 17th October 2020.
The results of our recent Life in Lockdown survey suggest that these findings are particularly relevant and important just now, with almost half of people with Crohn's and Colitis reporting that their mental health has been negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Please remember that if you ever need to talk about your condition, or that of a loved one, our fantastic Helplines team are here to help. We also have a new, comprehensive mental health and wellbeing resource that you might find helpful.
Related information:
- Read their most recent publication for free
- Find out more about the 'Being Me With IBD' project funded by Crohn's & Colitis UK
- Access the free information sheets developed by Bernie's team
- See how we are working to tackle pain in Crohn's and Colitis