Abstract Background Nurse-Led Clinics(NLCs) are an important model for the comprehensive management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients1. However, under this model, patients’ mental health issues, especially sub-threshold depression, which is often overlooked, still require in-depth exploration2. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of sub-threshold depression and its relationship with basic psychological needs among IBD patients in the China Yangtze River Delta region who are followed up in NLCs. It also explores the current status of sub-threshold depression among IBD patients in the China Yangtze River Delta region and analyzes its influencing factors. Methods Using the convenience sampling method, 217 patients with inflammatory bowel disease who visited the NLCS of a Grade III hospital in the Yangtze River Delta region of China from January to June 2025 were selected as research subjects. The survey was conducted using a general condition questionnaire, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and Basic Psychological Needs Scale (BNPS). Data analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficients. Results A total of 217 patients were included in the study. The sub-threshold depression scores of IBD patients were (20.43 ± 8.70) points, while their basic psychological needs scores were (79.17 ± 10.14) points. The results indicated that IBD patients exhibited higher sub-threshold depression scores. Among the 217 IBD patients, 103 (47.4%) scored below 20 points, while 114 (52.5%) scored 20 points or higher. Univariate analysis of sub-threshold depression status revealed statistically significant factors: living conditions, primary caregivers, and abdominal pain severity, with abdominal pain severity showing the most significant difference (p 0.01). A correlation was observed between sub-threshold depression and basic psychological needs (r = -0.220, p 0.001). Conclusion In the Yangtze River Delta region of China, the sub-threshold depression level among IBD patients treated in NLCs is not optimistic, and patients with higher sub-threshold depression levels may also have lower basic psychological needs score. As nursing staff in NLCs, it is necessary to increase the frequency of follow-ups and pay more attention to the psychological status of IBD patients. Specialized nurses should adopt methods such as health education, psychological counseling, cognitive intervention, and relaxation training to strive to reduce the sub-threshold depression level of IBD patients, helping them learn methods to regulate emotions and relieve stress, thereby reducing the occurrence of depression. References: 1. Karimi, N., Sechi, A. J., Harb, M., Sawyer, E., Williams, A. J., Ng, W., & Connor, S. J. (2021). The effect of a nurse-led advice line and virtual clinic on inflammatory bowel disease service delivery: an Australian study. European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology, 33(1S Suppl 1), e771–e776. 2. Prados, J. M. E., Cortés-Rodríguez, A., Losa-Iglesias, M. E., Gómez-Salgado, J., Vallejo, R. B. B., Saavedra-García, M. Á., López, D. L., & Jiménez-Cebrián, A. M. (2025). Mental health and Crohn’s disease: evaluating depression through a case-referent study. Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992), 71(9), e20250570. Conflict of interest: Zhuolin, Xu: No conflict of interest Chen, Shu: statistical analysis Gu, Yubei: No conflict of interest Zha, Qinghua: Support for travel for meetings to support study Wu, Yaping: Provision of writing assistance Cai, Yan: Consulting Zhang, Yue: Provision of writing assistance Zhou, Fanchen: Provision of writing assistance
Zhuolin et al. (Thu,) studied this question.