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

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 (

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.

Informations de copyright

© The Author(s), 2023.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

BML, ML, SBUJ, NB, NK, JW, RvK and PJ have no competing interests to declare. LB reports fees for consulting/advisory board from Abbvie, MSD, Vifor, Falk, Esocap, Calypso, Ferring, Pfizer, Shire, Takeda, Janssen, Ewopharma. PS received consulting fees from Pfizer, Abbvie, Takeda and Janssen-Cilag and travel support from Falk, UCB and Pfizer. SRV has received consulting fees, speakers honorary and unrestricted research grants from Abbott, Alfasigma, Amgen, Arenapharm, Falk Pharma GmbH, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Gilead, iQuone, Janssen, MSD, Permamed, Pfizer Inc, Sanofi-Aventis, Takeda, Tillotts, UCB, and Vifor. JZ reports fees for consulting/advisory board from Abbvie, Janssen and traveling fees from Abbvie, Takeda and Vifor. GR declares consulting fees from Abbvie, Augurix, BMS, Boehringer, Calypso, Celgene, FALK, Ferring, Fisher, Genentech, Gilead, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Phadia, Roche, UCB, Takeda, Tillots, Vifor, Vital Solutions and Zeller; speaker’s honoraria from Astra Zeneca, Abbvie, FALK, Janssen, MSD, Pfizer, Phadia, Takeda, Tillots, UCB, Vifor and Zeller; and grants support from Abbvie, Ardeypharm, Augurix, Calypso, FALK, Flamentera, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Takeda, Tillots, UCB and Zeller. BM reports traveling fees from Takeda, Vifor, Gilead and MSD. BM received fees as a speaker from Takeda. BM has served at an advisory board for Gilead, Takeda and BMS. BM has received research grants from MSD and BMS unrelated to the submitted work.