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Parents have a central role in the management of children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Alterations in parental psychological well-being may affect the patient's health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between maternal and paternal distress, anxiety, depression and pain catastrophizing and the HRQoL of patients with IBD. Children with IBD ages 8 to 18 years and their parents were prospectively recruited. Children answered questionnaires on HRQoL while parents completed an assessment of distress, anxiety, depression, and pain catastrophizing. Univariate and multivariate regression models analysis were used to evaluate correlations between parental measures and patient's HRQoL and between the factors related to children health and parental psychological suffering. One hundred patients (45 Crohn disease, 55 ulcerative colitis), 90 mothers and 62 fathers were enrolled. Parents had high levels of distress while anxiety, depression, and pain catastrophizing levels were relatively low. Parental distress had the most substantial correlation with children's HRQoL and was associated with patients’ disease activity and recent flares. On multivariate regression analysis, parental factors explained less than 20% of the variance in the children's HRQoL scores. Mothers suffered from psychological alterations more frequently than fathers, but the parental inter-rater agreement was strong in regards to distress and anxiety. Parental distress is high and correlates with the HRQoL of children with IBD. Interventions aimed at evaluating and managing parental distress should be considered during the management of children with IBD.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can be particularly challenging during the pediatric age with a relevant impact on patient's health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Disease activity accounts for only a small part of the variability in HRQoL, and psychological factors can play a significant role. We aimed to evaluate the impact of patient's distress and pain catastrophizing on children and adolescents with IBD. We prospectively recruited children aged 8 to 18 with IBD and recorded demographic and disease characteristics. Patients answered questionnaires on HRQoL (IMPACT III), distress (distress thermometer [DT]), and pain catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale-Children [PCS-C]). Univariate and multivariate regression models analysis were used to evaluate correlations between patients’ characteristics, disease activity, distress, pain catastrophizing, and HRQoL. Seventy-one patients were enrolled (median age 13.6, 49.3% Crohn disease, 50.7% ulcerative colitis). Median HRQoL, DT, and PCS-C scores were 78.6 (interquartile range 68.0–87.1), 3.0 (1.0–5.0), and 12.0 (4.0–23.0), respectively. Patient's distress and pain catastrophizing levels significantly correlated with HRQoL. Pain catastrophizing had the strongest impact on HRQoL (Spearman correlation coefficient, ? = 0.73), followed by distress (? = 0.67), and ulcerative colitis severity (? = 0.67). The DT and the PCS-C scores were significantly associated (? = 0.46). Distress and pain catastrophizing have a significative impact on HRQoL in young patients with IBD. Physicians should recognize the role of these psychological factors and consider cognitive-behavioral therapy to optimize the patient's health.