Cognitive-behavioral treatment for youth with IBD and co-morbid anxiety disorders

Abstract

Pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a chronic medical condition, are at risk for developing anxiety disorders and debilitating worries regarding their disease. Untreated co-occurring anxiety may exacerbate medical symptoms, treatment and contribute to worsened quality of life in youth with IBD. We conducted a study to examine the role of anxiety (disease-specific and general) and functioning (i.e., medical care use, school attendance, social functioning, health-related quality of life) in 36 youth, ages 12 to 17, diagnosed with IBD. Based on self report, clinical levels of anxiety were prevalent, with 22% of the sample reporting symptoms over the cutoff range. In addition, many of the youths experienced illness concerns related to taking medication, their bodily appearance, and having little control over their body. Poisson and linear regression analyses revealed that only disease-specific anxiety was associated with lower academic (p