Black and Latino/a Participants With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Are More Likely to Be at Risk for Post-Traumatic...

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is diagnosed when a person experiences chronic psychological distress following a traumatic event that involves a real or perceived threat to life or bodily harm. Up to one-third of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients report some PTSD symptoms due to their disease (IBD-PTS); however, most data are collected in Caucasian populations. IBD-PTS is associated with poorer outcomes. To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate IBD-PTS in Black and Latino/a patients.

Adult IBD patients of Black and/or Latino/a race were recruited at 2 IBD clinics. Those meeting eligibility requirements completed these assessment tools online: PTSD Checklist for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) (PCL-5), Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Questionnaire, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ), and Demographic and Clinical Information. White, non-Hispanic IBD patients from a previously published dataset from IBD Partners were used for age- and sex-matched controls (2:1).

In total, the study included 180 matched controls and 90 participants, including 57.8% of Black and Latino/a patients who had experienced extreme fear or threats to life/bodily harm related to IBD; 33.3% who scored ≥31 on the PCL-5 (minimum criteria for IBD-PTS) vs 12.8% of matched controls. Black and Latino/a patients also reported more severe IBD-PTS symptoms. Those with higher PCL-5 scores had more adverse childhood experiences and were more likely to have been hospitalized, had surgery, or used the emergency room for IBD. More severe IBD-PTS was associated with poorer HRQoL.

Black and Latino/a IBD patients may have rates of IBD-PTS 2.5 times higher than White peers, with more severe PTSD symptoms. Prior nonmedical adverse life events may be risk factors for the development of IBD-PTS. Additional research is warranted.