Inflammatory bowel disease in children and adolescents: a somatic and psychiatric investigation.

Twenty consecutive patients between 9 and 18 years of age with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) [ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD)] were assessed for the presence of psychiatric disorder. The prevalence of psychiatric disorder using the DSM-III-R criteria (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 3rd ed., revised), was 60% in the IBD group compared to 15% in a matched control group (p = 0.009). The psychiatric disturbances were mainly depressive or anxiety disorders. The IBD children also scored significantly higher (p = 0.0028) on the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) which was completed by the mothers. This indicates more behavioural problems in the IBD group than in the control group. The present study suggests that children and adolescents with IBD comprise a population at high risk for developing a psychiatric disorder that may not be overt but nevertheless plays an important interactive role in the course of the disease.