healio.com
Train support staff to be aware of mental health concerns in IBD to avoid future trauma
Mental health conditions are more common in people with IBD and often go unaddressed; training staff to notice and respond can help patients get support sooner and may reduce trauma related to care.
Clinicians and clinic support staff who care for adults with IBD, patients and caregivers interested in mental-health support and IBD care teams seeking trauma-informed approaches.
What To Know
Why it matters Patients with IBD commonly experience anxiety, depression, insomnia and PTSD, yet many do not get mental health care. Training clinic support staff to recognize distress and use trauma-informed conversation starters can help identify needs earlier and reduce the chance of re-traumatization during care.
What to know This Healio report summarizes a Crohn’s & Colitis Congress presentation by Katrina S. Hacker, PhD, emphasizing the mental health burden in IBD and low rates of patients receiving mental health care.
The presenter recommended simple screening questions clinicians and support staff can use to open conversations about emotional well-being and trauma related to IBD care.
The piece highlights practical steps: ask routine emotional-health questions, validate patients’ experiences, offer resources, build hope and refer to mental health professionals when needed.
It specifically advocates training non-clinical support staff in trauma-informed responses so everyone on the care team knows how to respond if a patient becomes distressed. This article reports a conference talk, not new clinical trial data or guidelines, and Healio noted it could not confirm disclosures at publication.
Content summarizes a conference presentation rather than peer-reviewed research. Recommendations are practical communication and training strategies; it does not present new treatment data. Healio noted disclosures were not confirmed at publication.
