Association between Ulcerative Colitis, mental health, and Quality of Life in a Pakistani cohort: A cross-sectional analysis.

Anxiety was present in 21.8% and depression in 17.8% of UC patients in the Pakistani cohort.

• Sample consisted of 101 UC patients recruited from outpatient IBD clinics at Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi
• Data collected from February 2024 to May 2025
• Psychological status was evaluated using HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and BDI-II (Beck Depression Inventory-II)
• The study setting was described as one where mental health often remains under-addressed

The majority of UC patients reported good quality of life, but a notable proportion reported poor QoL.

• Mean IBDQ score was 150 ± 32.9
• 12.9% of patients reported poor QoL
• 60.4% reported good QoL
• Only 1% reported excellent QoL
• QoL was assessed using the IBDQ-32 (Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire)

Disease severity showed significant positive correlations with both anxiety and depression.

• Correlation between disease severity and anxiety: ρ = 0.42, p = 0.001
• Correlation between disease severity and depression: ρ = 0.38, p = 0.002
• Disease severity was assessed via Mayo Score and Montreal classification
• Kruskal-Wallis tests confirmed significant differences in psychological distress across severity groups (p < 0.05)

Disease severity showed a strong negative correlation with quality of life.

• Spearman correlation between disease severity and QoL: ρ = -0.51, p < 0.001
• Kruskal-Wallis tests confirmed significant differences in QoL across severity groups (p < 0.05)
• This was the strongest correlation observed among the measured associations

Multivariable regression identified Mayo score, anxiety, depression, and disease extent as significant negative predictors of IBDQ score.

• Mayo score was a significant negative predictor of IBDQ score (p < 0.05)
• HADS-A (anxiety subscale) was a significant negative predictor of IBDQ score (p < 0.05)
• HADS-D (depression subscale) was a significant negative predictor of IBDQ score (p < 0.05)
• Disease extent was a significant negative predictor of IBDQ score (p < 0.05)
• The analysis was conducted using multivariable regression

The study used a cross-sectional design at a single outpatient IBD clinic in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

• Setting: Gastroenterology department of Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi
• Data collected using structured forms covering demographics, clinical history, and disease severity
• Study period: February 2024 to May 2025
• Total sample size: 101 UC patients
• Cross-sectional design limits causal inference