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. 2023 Sep;26(5):239-248.
doi: 10.5223/pghn.2023.26.5.239. Epub 2023 Sep 1.

Anxiety, Depression, and Quality of Life in Parents of Adolescents with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Longitudinal Study

Satomi Nomura  1   2 , Yuri Hirano  1 , Ichiro Takeuchi  1 , Hirotaka Shimizu  1 , Katsuhiro Arai  1
Affiliations

Anxiety, Depression, and Quality of Life in Parents of Adolescents with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Longitudinal Study

Satomi Nomura et al. Pediatr Gastroenterol Hepatol Nutr. 2023 Sep.

Abstract

Purpose: The parents of adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease may experience impaired mental health and quality of life. This longitudinal study aimed to verify whether the mental health and quality of life of the parents of adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease declined when their children had active disease.

Methods: Sociodemographic data, parental anxiety, depression, and quality of life were analyzed using validated questionnaires for each variable. After the baseline survey, the second and follow-up surveys were conducted at 3 and 12 months, respectively. The active disease group comprised eight parents whose children had active disease during the baseline and second surveys. The remission group comprised 14 parents whose children remained in remission during both surveys. The improved group comprised nine parents whose children experienced active disease at baseline and remission during the second survey. Parental mental health and quality of life were compared among the groups.

Results: Significantly higher levels of anxiety were observed in the active disease group in all surveys (p<0.050). Although depression levels and quality of life did not differ significantly among the three groups, pairing the active disease group with other groups showed some large effect sizes.

Conclusion: Parents tended to experience decreased mental health and quality of life when their adolescents experienced active inflammatory bowel disease. Consequently, our hypothesis was partially verified. Therefore, parents need support when their children have active disease; this finding highlights the need for parental support systems.

Keywords: Adolescents; Inflammatory bowel disease; Mental health; Parents; Quality of life.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: The authors have no financial conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. The vertical axis represents the range of STAI-JZY state anxiety scores. The STAI–JZY scores did not differ significantly in any group during the survey period (active disease group, p=0.500; remission group, p=0.340; improved group, p=0.120). *p-value of the Kruskal–Wallis test. †p-value of the Dunn–Bonferroni test and r calculated by pairing the active disease and the remission group. ‡p-value of the Dunn–Bonferroni test and r calculated by pairing the remission and improved groups. §p-value of the Dunn–Bonferroni test and r calculated by pairing the active disease and improved groups.
STAI-JZY: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Form JYZ.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. The vertical axis represents the range of CES-D scores. The CES-D scores did not differ significantly in any group during the survey period (active disease group, p=0.850; remission group, p=0.350; improved group, p=0.060). *p-value of the Kruskal–Wallis test. †r calculated by pairing the active disease and remission groups. ‡r calculated by pairing the remission and improved groups. §r calculated by pairing the active disease and improved groups.
CES-D: Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. The vertical axis represents the range of WHOQOL26 scores. The WHOQOL 26 score did not differ significantly in any group during the survey period (active disease group, p=0.950; remission group, p=0.910; improved group, p=0.960). *p-value of the Kruskal–Wallis test. †r calculated by pairing the active disease and remission groups. ‡r calculated by pairing the remission and improved groups. §r calculated by pairing the active disease and improved groups.
WHOQOL26: World Health Organization Quality of Life 26.
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