[Inflammatory bowel disease and quality of life: psychopathological variants.]

INTRODUCTION: Purpose of the study was to analyze the quality of life and psychiatric symptomatology in patients suffering from Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

METHODS: In this study were enrolled 108 patients: 67 cases (Ulcerative Colitis in 39 patients, Crohn's Disease in 28 cases) and 41 controls (patients suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome). Patients were subjected to Self-Report Symptom Inventory-Revised (SCL-90-R) to analyze general psychiatric symptomatology; Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) to analyze depressive symptomatology; Short Form-36 (SF-36) to evaluate the quality of life.

RESULTS: Patients suffering from Inflammatory Bowel Disease have major limitations in phisical activities; they complain about daily activities; they consider their general health as the most poor and destined to deteriorate further in time. Patients suffering from Ulcerative Colitis have greater impairment if compared with Crohn's disease patients.

CONCLUSION: Patients suffering with inflammatory bowel disease have a significant impairment in several areas of life quality and a psychiatric symptomatology that shows emotional - psycological discomfort due to the underlying disease.