Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology (Jun 2023)

Because I’m happy – positive affect and its predictive value for future disease activity in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases: a retrospective cohort study

  • Brian M. Lang,
  • Martina Ledergerber,
  • Sebastian Bruno Ulrich Jordi,
  • Niklas Krupka,
  • Luc Biedermann,
  • Philipp Schreiner,
  • Pascal Juillerat,
  • Jacqueline Wyss,
  • Stephan R. Vavricka,
  • Jonas Zeitz,
  • Roland von Känel,
  • Gerhard Rogler,
  • Niko Beerenwinkel,
  • Benjamin Misselwitz

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/17562848231179335
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16

Abstract

Read online

Background: While the detrimental impact of negative emotions on the clinical course of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and quality of life has been extensively investigated, evidence for a potential impact of positive emotions is scarce. Objectives: We aim to analyse contributing factors of positive affect and their predictive value for disease course in IBD patients. Design: In this retrospective cohort study, epidemiological, psychosocial and IBD disease characteristics of Swiss IBD cohort study patients were analysed longitudinally. Methods: Epidemiological, psychosocial and disease characteristics were extracted from the database of the Swiss IBD cohort study. Participants’ positive emotions were assessed cross-sectionally with the seven-item Marburg questionnaire (range 1–6) addressing positive affect in different aspects of daily life. Predictors of positive emotions were identified by linear regression. The quantitative longitudinal impact of positive emotions on the further disease course was analysed using a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model. Results: Among 702 IBD patients, those reporting more positive emotions were found to have significantly less intense medical treatment, less pain and fewer depressive symptoms ( p 3.5) experienced longer flare-free survival, also after adjusting for confounders (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.39, p < 0.05). Conclusions: The absence of pain and depressive symptoms were the strongest drivers for high positive affect. Higher scores of positive affect were associated with longer disease-free survival in IBD patients.