Effects of anti-TNF therapy and immunomodulators on anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a 5-year analysis.

DOI
Publisher DOI
PubMed ID
34484421
Abstract
Background and aims

Anxiety and depression are prevalent in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), especially during IBD flares. IBD therapies can profoundly affect the mood of patients with IBD. We aimed to determine the long-term impact of anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) and immunomodulators (IM) on anxiety and depressive symptoms in IBD patients.

Methods

We compared three treatment groups with IM only (group A), anti-TNF ± IM (group B) and no such therapy (group C). Patients completed the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) at 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years after start of treatment.

Results

In total, 581 patients with IBD (42.9% Crohn's disease, 57.1% ulcerative colitis/IBD unclassified) participated in this study. Effects of treatment were analyzed in a mixed effects model, with and without correction for confounders. Compared with group C, group B showed a significant treatment-related improvement in both anxiety and depressive symptoms within the first 2.5 years and also thereafter. Group A showed a significant long-term improvement of anxiety and both short-term and long-term improvement in depressive symptoms. The significance of these results was maintained after correction for confounders, including corticosteroid treatment. Additionally, both groups A and B showed a significant decrease in disease activity in the first 2.5 years after start of treatment and also thereafter. Anti-TNF and IM treatment were associated with a similarly significant decrease in anxiety and depressive symptoms over an observation period of up to 5 years.

Conclusion

Besides a clear benefit for disease activity, anti-TNF and IM apparently improve the mood of patients with IBD.
Date Issued
2021-08
Publication Type
Article
Subject(s)
Subjects
anti-TNF anxiety depressive symptoms hospital anxiety and depression scale immune-modulatory therapy inflammatory bowel disease mood psychosocial factors
Language(s)
en
Author(s)
Siebenhüner, Alexander R
Rossel, Jean-Benoît
Schreiner, Philipp
Butter, Matthias
Greuter, Thomas
Biedermann, Luc
Rogler, Gerhard
von Känel, Roland
Additional Credits
Journal
Therapeutic advances in gastroenterology
Publisher
Sage
ISSN
1756-283X
Access(Rights)
open.access
Show full item