Cure8 research brief
Emotional functioning and parent-child mental health are linked with anxiety, depression, and quality of life in children with IBD and other GI autoimmune disorders. Identifying these issues may help families get appropriate psychological support.
Pediatric patients with IBD or related autoimmune GI conditions, parents and caregivers, pediatric gastroenterology clinicians, and researchers studying psychosocial aspects of pediatric GI illness.
The study supports using multi-informant, family-centered psychological assessment in pediatric gastroenterology. Alexithymia (difficulty identifying/expressing emotions) and parent mental health were associated with child symptom reports, suggesting family factors may influence how symptoms are experienced and reported.
The data come from questionnaires in a single-center cross-sectional sample recruited in Greece in 2024, so results describe associations rather than causes and may not generalize broadly.
Practical note: If you or your child is navigating IBD or another pediatric gastrointestinal autoimmune condition, clinicians may consider screening for emotional difficulties in both child and parent and using family-informed supports. This abstract does not provide treatment recommendations or intervention results.
Cross-sectional design; associations do not establish causation. Sample was modest (59 children) from one university center in Greece in 2024. The source is an abstract in Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry; Cure8 did not review a full article beyond the provided abstract.
Review the original publication for the complete reporting, methods, and context.
This Cure8 brief is based on source text from the linked article. Cure8 is informational only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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