Risk factors for depressive symptoms in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Abstract

Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), characterized by periods of activity and remission, and its etiopathogenesis has not been fully elucidated to date. The reduction in quality of life in patients with IBD is significant and can have personal, social and economic consequences. They also represent a great burden for society in general, since their treatment is prolonged and expensive. In the last decade, there has been an increase in the number of studies published around the world on the relationship between IBD and psychological aspects. Studies have shown that individuals with IBD are more likely to develop mental disorders such as anxiety and depression than the general population. The suffering experienced by patients with UC, the chronicity, the constant use of medication, the severe symptoms, the surgeries experienced and the fear of the possibility of new hospitalizations indicate that they facilitate the onset of depression. Despite the data published in the world literature suggesting a strong association between IBD and depressive disorder, there are few studies in countries where IBD is considered emerging, such as Brazil. The present study aims to estimate the prevalence of depression in patients with UC treated at the HCFMUSP and to assess the relationship with gender, age group, marital status, disease duration, previous surgeries, smoking and religion.