Employment status, difficulties at work and quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease patients

Abstract

aObjectives To assess employment status, difficulties at work and sick leave in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients and their relation with sociodemographic and clinical factors, quality of life (QoL), and anxiety and depression. Materials and methods IBD patients attending an IBD outpatients' clinic received self-report questionnaires on employment status, IBD-related difficulties at work and sick leave (Trimbos/iMTA questionnaire for Costs associated with Psychiatric Illness), sociodemographic factors, QoL (Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire and 12-item Short-form Health Survey) and anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Disease activity was assessed by their gastroenterologist. Associations between paid employment and sick leave with sociodemographic and clinical factors, QoL and anxiety and depression were assessed by regression analyses. Results In total, 202 IBD patients of working age, with a mean age of 41 years, participated; 63% had Crohn's disease and 37% had ulcerative colitis, and 57% were women and 19% had active disease. In all, 123 (61%) patients were in paid employment, of whom 31 (25%) were on sick leave, whereas 46 (23%) received a disability pension. Concentration problems (72%), low working pace (78%) and delayed work production (50%) were the most prevalent IBD-related work difficulties. IBD patients without paid employment were older and more often women, with active disease, lower QoL and higher anxiety and depression rates. Sick leave was associated with lower QoL and higher anxiety and depression rates. Conclusion More than half of IBD patients were in paid employment, whereas almost a quarter was receiving a disability pension. A large majority experienced work difficulties. Having no paid employment was associated with poorer QoL and more anxiety and depression symptomatology. Eur

Patients' perceptions of the impact of ulcerative colitis on social and professional life: results from the UC-LIFE survey of outpatient clinics in Spain

“… 21 , 22 These patients may be more likely to experience problems with fatigue, anxiety, depression, deteriorating treatment adherence, and increased work disability. 8 , 21 , 23 A direct consequence will likely be an increased overall use of health care resources. 21 …”

“…Our survey findings of a markedly deleterious effect of IBD on various aspects of professional and academic life are clearly in agreement with data from large surveys, 24 systematic reviews, 10 and other trials. 8 , 9 , 25 For example, in a large European survey in >4,500 IBD patients, most patients reported that their disease had caused absence from work, and 45% commented that IBD had a negative impact on educational performance. 24 Moreover, in a study of IBD patients at a Dutch outpatient clinic, de Boer et al documented that 25% of employed patients were on sick leave, about one quarter were receiving a disability pension, and approximately three quarters had work-related difficulties such as concentration problems and slow work pace.…”

“… 24 Moreover, in a study of IBD patients at a Dutch outpatient clinic, de Boer et al documented that 25% of employed patients were on sick leave, about one quarter were receiving a disability pension, and approximately three quarters had work-related difficulties such as concentration problems and slow work pace. 8 A lack of paid employment was associated with worse QoL and greater rates of anxiety and depression. 8 …”

Systematic review and meta‐analysis: assessment of factors affecting disability in inflammatory bowel disease and the reliability of the inflammatory bowel disease disability index

“…The correlation between patient‐reported outcomes is generally high but associated factors should be compared and evaluated in future studies . Several studies have investigated different kinds of patient‐reported outcomes (eg IBDQ, SF36 and FACIT‐F) and factors associated with worse outcomes (eg female gender, smoking and disease activity) . Thus, factors found in this review to be associated with high disability are comparable, although medical treatment (eg biological therapy) and smoking were not associated with worse disability.…”

Accommodations and Adaptations to Overcome Workplace Disability in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: A Systematic Review

“…They reported difficulties such as concentration problems (72%), having to work at a slower pace than normal (78%), and having to seclude themselves from their colleagues (54%) [8]. A large survey from Japan demonstrated that the percentage of patients who had experienced at least one difficulty at work because of their IBD was 98.3% for ulcerative colitis and 98.8% for Crohn’s disease [9].…”