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Objective: Psychological factors, such as stress, anxiety, and depression, are frequently related to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, few studies have examined these factors in patients newly diagnosed with IBD. The aim of the present study was to test the psychological burden in patients with a recent diagnosis of IBD and the factors related to this psychological burden. Methods: We performed a prospective, multi-center, observational study in patients with a new diagnosis of IBD (≤6 months). The patients were recruited from four different Spanish hospitals. Clinical and demographic characteristics were collected. Patients were evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and quality of life questionnaire for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBDQ-32). The Scale of Stress Perceived by the Disease was used to assess stressful life events. Results: We included 156 patients newly diagnosed with IBD [69 women; 80 Crohn’s disease (CD) and 76 ulcerative colitis (UC)], with a mean age of 42.3 (SD 16.21) years. A total of 37.2% of patients had symptoms of anxiety and 17.3% had symptoms of depression. Quality of life was affected in 30.1% of patients. Factors related to anxiety in early IBD were being a woman and having CD. The only factor related to depression was the presence of comorbidity. Being a woman and having suffered previous stressful life events were factors related to impaired quality of life. Conclusion: Anxiety, depression, and impaired quality of life are frequent in patients with a recent diagnosis of IBD. This psychological burden is greater in women.

Background: Female gender could be a cause of diagnostic delay in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic delay in women vs men and potential causes. Methods: This multicenter cohort study included 190 patients with recent diagnosis of IBD (disease duration <7 months). Reconstruction of the clinical presentation and diagnostic process was carried out in conjunction with the semistructured patient interview, review, and electronic medical records. Results: The median time from symptom onset to IBD diagnosis was longer in women than in men: 12.6 (interquartile range, 3.7-31) vs 4.5 (2.2-9.8) months for Crohn’s disease (CD; P = .008) and 6.1 (3-11.2) vs 2.7 (1.5-5.6) months for ulcerative colitis (UC; P = .008). Sex was an independent variable related to the time to IBD diagnosis in Cox regression analysis. The clinical presentation of IBD was similar in both sexes. Women had a higher percentage of misdiagnosis than men (CD, odds ratio [OR], 3.9; 95% confidence [CI], 1.5-9.9; UC, OR 3.0; 95% CI, 1.2-7.4). Gender inequities in misdiagnosis were found at all levels of the health system (emergency department, OR 2.4; 95% CI, 1.1-5.1; primary care, OR 2.5; 95% CI, 1.3-4.7; gastroenterology secondary care, OR 3.2; 95% CI, 1.2-8.4; and hospital admission, OR 4.3; 95% CI, 1.1-16.9). Conclusions: There is a longer diagnostic delay in women than in men for both CD and UC due to a drawn-out evaluation of women, with a higher number of misdiagnoses at all levels of the health care system.

Background: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are vulnerable to some psychological disorders. Here we describe the psychological impact of a COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in patients with IBD. Methods: This multicenter prospective cohort study included 145 patients recently diagnosed with IBD. Data on clinical and demographic characteristics, anxiety and depression scales, and IBD activity were collected in two telephone surveys, during and after the first COVID-19 lockdown in Spain. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Results: During lockdown, 33.1% and 24.1% scored high on the anxiety and depression scales, respectively. Independent factors related to anxiety (all values ORs; 95% CIs) during lockdown were female sex (2; 1.2–5.4) and IBD activity (4.3; 1.8–10.4). Factors related to depression were comorbidity (3.3; 1.1–9.8), IBD activity (6; 1.9–18.1), use of biologics (2.9; 1.1–7.6), and living alone or with one person (3.1; 1.2–8.2). After lockdown, anxiety and depression symptoms showed significant improvement, with 24.8% and 15.2% having high scores for anxiety and depression, respectively. Factors related to post-lockdown anxiety were female sex (2.5; 1.01–6.3), Crohn’s disease (3.3; 1.3–8.5), and active IBD (4.1; 1.2–13.7). Factors associated with depression were previous history of mood and/or anxiety disorders (6.3; 1.6–24.9), active IBD (7.5; 2.1–26.8), and steroid use (6.4; 1.4–29). Conclusions: Lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant psychological impact in patients with IBD. Disease activity was related to the presence of anxiety and depression symptoms during and after lockdown., Antecedentes: Los pacientes con enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal (EII) son vulnerables a sufrir trastornos psicológicos. En este estudio describimos el impacto psicológico que ha supuesto el confinamiento durante el COVID-19 en pacientes con EII. Métodos: Este estudio de cohorte prospectivo multicéntrico se incluyeron 145 pacientes con diagnóstico de EII reciente. Los datos sobre las características clínicas y demográficas, las escalas de ansiedad y depresión y la actividad de la EII se recogieron en dos encuestas telefónicas, durante y después del primer confinamiento por COVID-19 en España. Se calcularon las odds ratios (OR) y los intervalos de confianza (IC) al 95%. Resultados: Durante el confinamiento, el 33,1% y el 24,1% puntuaron alto en las escalas de ansiedad y depresión respectivamente. Los factores independientes relacionados con la ansiedad (todos los valores OR; IC del 95%) durante el confinamiento fueron el sexo femenino (2; 1,2-5,4) y la actividad de la EII (4,3; 1,8-10,4). Los factores relacionados con la depresión fueron la comorbilidad (3,3; 1,1-9,8), la actividad de la EII (6; 1,9-18,1), el uso de biológicos (2,9; 1,1-7,6) y el vivir solo o con una persona (3,1; 1,2-8,2). Tras el confinamiento, los síntomas de ansiedad y depresión mostraron una mejoría significativa, ya que el 24,8% y el 15,2% tenían puntuaciones altas en ansiedad y depresión, respectivamente. Los factores relacionados con la ansiedad tras el confinamiento fueron el sexo femenino (2,5; 1,01-6,3), enfermedad de Crohn (3,3; 1,3-8,5) y EII activa (4,1; 1,2-13,7). Los factores asociados con la depresión fueron los antecedentes de trastornos del estado de ánimo y/o de ansiedad (6,3; 1,6-24,9), EII activa (7,5; 2,1-26,8), y el uso de esteroides (6,4; 1,4-29). Conclusiones: El confinamiento durante la pandemia de COVID-19 tuvo un impacto psicológico significativo en los pacientes con EII. La actividad de la enfermedad se relacionó con la presencia de síntomas de ansiedad y depresión dur