Following the release of a study conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto, people with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis have been found to have double the chance of having anxiety disorder when compared to individuals without inflammatory bowel conditions.

While past research has looked into the connection between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and depression, no other project has looked at the link between IBD and generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) until now.

The research team used information from a 2012 Canadian community mental health study in which 269 individuals stated that they had been diagnosed with having either Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

Among people that identified themselves as having IBD, anxiety was found to be noticeably more prevalent among anyone who had experienced sexual abuse in their childhood, as well as those that had endured long-term pain.

Following the publication of the study, which highlights the link between physical and mental health, there have been calls for medical professionals – including GPs – to be aware that people with IBD are at a greater risk of anxiety.

It is hoped that they will monitor for any possible signs of the condition among their existing and new IBD patients.

Professor Esme Fuller-Thomson, lead author of the study, said: “Patients with IBD face substantial chronic physical problems associated with the disease.

“The additional burden of anxiety disorders makes life much more challenging so this ‘double jeopardy’ must be addressed.”

More information about the Canadian study, which was published this week, is available in the journal Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.