Yanartas O, Kani HT, Bicakci E, Kilic I, Banzragch M, Acikel C, Atug O, Kuscu K, Imeryuz N, Akin H.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2016 Mar 24;12:673-83. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S106039. eCollection 2016.

Abstract for The effects of psychiatric treatment on depression, anxiety, quality of life, and sexual dysfunction in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Objective: Depression and anxiety are common disorders in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Our aim is to prospectively determine the effect of psychiatric treatment on scores for depression, anxiety, quality of life (QoL), and sexual dysfunction in an outpatient population diagnosed with IBD and also anxiety and/or depression disorder.

Patients and methods: Patients who scored higher than the cutoff point on the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale were referred for further structured psychiatric evaluation and determination of the need for psychiatric drug treatment. Patients who underwent drug therapy completed Short Form-36 (SF-36) and the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale at baseline and after 6 months of follow-up.

Results: Major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder were the most common diagnoses. After 6 months, 47 patients had completely adhered to drug treatment (group A), whereas 20 were nonadherent (group B). In group A, all domains of SF-36, Arizona Sexual Experience Scale, depression/anxiety scores, and Crohn’s disease activity index were statistically improved after treatment when compared with the baseline. In group B, the three domains of SF-36, platelet count, and mean corpuscular volume were worse between baseline and at 6 months.

Conclusion: In IBD patients having any psychiatric disorder, 6 months of antidepressant drug treatment is associated with an improvement in depression, anxiety, QoL, and sexual functioning scores, as well as an improvement in Crohn’s disease activity index. On the other hand, insufficient psychiatric treatment seems to be related to a poor QoL.

Keywords: anxiety; depression; inflammatory bowel disease; psychiatric treatment; sexual dysfunction.

Uzman Dr. Mutse YAĞCI

She graduated from Ege University Faculty of Medicine in 2004. She completed his Internal Medicine specialization from Istanbul Faculty of Medicine in 2010, and Gastroenterology subspecialty training at Marmara University between 2011-2014. Areas of interest: ESD, EMR, POEM, ERCP, EUS, PH meter, Anal manometer, Esophageal manometer. She is a member of PATH Barcelona, EASL, IBH and Turkish Liver Research Association.