Signs of dissociation and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in inflammatory bowel disease. A case-control study

Background. Several psychological disorders have been described in patients affected by Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Few studies have focused on the relationship between IBD and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and no data are available on the relationship between IBD and dissociative symptoms. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of PTSD and dissociative symptoms in a sample of IBD patients compared to healthy controls. A possible relationship with disease activity was also investigated. Methods: A total of 112 IBD patients, 55 Crohn’s disease (CD) and 57 Ulcerative Colitis (UC), and 114 healthy individuals were evaluated. IBD patients were divided into three subgroups according to disease activity (remission, mild, moderate). The revised version of the Impact of Event Scale (IES-R) and the Dissociative Experience Scale (DES) were administered to patients and controls. Results: IBD patients showed significantly higher rates of PTSD and dissociative symptoms compared to healthy controls. No differences were found between CD and UC patients. PTSD and dissociative symptoms were higher among CD patients with mild to moderate-severe activity compared to the remission group. No differences were found among UC patients with different activity levels. Conclusion: IBD patients show a high prevalence of dissociative and traumatic affective disorders. Future studies are needed to investigate the role of these disorders in the clinical course and management of IBD patients according to different disease activity phase.