Psychological well-being and quality of life in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease in clinical remission.

Objectives: Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) presents significant psychological challenges, including anxiety and depression. This study investigates the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms in pediatric IBD patients in remission and examines the correlation between patient and parental assessments of these symptoms. Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis, or IBD-unclassified (IBD-U) aged 1-21 years in clinical remission as measured by the pediatric CD activity index or pediatric ulcerative colitis activity index were enrolled. Demographic data and patient psychological well-being were assessed using the IMPACT-III and the patient-reported outcomes measurement information system (PROMIS) emotional distress depression short-form 8a and anxiety short-form 8a. Results: Forty-eight pediatric IBD patients and their parents completed psychological assessments. Prevalence of anxiety and depression were 29.1% and 14.5%, respectively. A moderate inverse correlation between PROMIS depression and anxiety scores, and quality of life was observed. Strong correlations were observed between child- and parent-reported PROMIS scores for both anxiety ( Conclusions: These findings underscore the persistent burden of anxiety and depression in pediatric IBD patients and the valuable role of parental assessments in identifying psychological distress. Routine screening is essential for improving outcomes in this population.