A Meta-analytic Review of the Psychosocial Adjustment of Youth with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Objective To conduct a meta-analytic review of psychosocial adjustment of youth with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods Nineteen studies with a total of 1167 youth with IBD (M age = 14.33, 50% female) were included. Effect size (ES) estimates were calculated for anxiety symptoms & disorders, depressive symptoms & disorders, internalizing symptoms & disorders, externalizing symptoms, quality of life (QOL), social functioning, and self-esteem. Separate ESs were calculated for comparisons between IBD and youth with chronic illnesses versus healthy youth. Results Youth with IBD had higher rates of depressive disorders and internalizing disorders than youth with other chronic conditions. Youth with IBD had higher parent-reported internalizing symptoms, lower parent- and youth-reported QOL, and lower youth-reported social functioning compared to healthy youth. Conclusions Clinical attention to depressive disorders, QOL, and social functioning may be particularly salient in the context of pediatric IBD.