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Published on: February 27, 2014
Parental bonding and inflammatory bowel disease
Alessandro Agostini1, Fernando Rizzello, Gianni Ravegnani
1Dept. of Psychology, Univ. of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. alessandro.furey@tiscali.it
Insights
Individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) reported lower parental care and higher paternal overprotection. Early life experiences, including parenting, are linked to chronic physical illness development.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Gastroenterology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with psychological stress.
- Adverse parenting is a risk factor for adult psychiatric disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between parenting and IBD.
- To clarify bonding differences between IBD patients and controls.
Main Methods:
- 307 patients with IBD and 307 healthy controls completed the Parental Bonding Instrument questionnaire.
Main Results:
- IBD patients perceived significantly lower parental care and higher paternal overprotection compared to controls.
- The 'Optimal Parenting' category showed significant differences between the IBD and control groups.
Conclusions:
- Inadequate parenting is associated with chronic physical illness like IBD.
- Early parental experiences may influence the development of chronic illnesses.
Background:
Previous studies have shown a relationship between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and psychological stress. Adverse parenting is recognized as an important risk factor for the development of psychiatric disorders in adulthood.
Objective:
The authors sought to further investigate this relationship by clarifying aspects of the bonding relationship in IBD patients and control subjects.
Method:
A group of 307 patients with IBD and a group of 307 healthy subjects filled out the questionnaire Parental Bonding Instrument.
Results:
Patients with IBD perceived their parents' behaviors as characterized by low care and paternal overprotection; the category Optimal Parenting differs highly in the two samples.
Conclusion:
This study demonstrated an association between inadequate parenting and a chronic physical illness. These findings are consistent with a growing literature that links early parental experience to chronic illness.
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