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Evaluate mental health status among ulcerative colitis patients in a rural primary care setting through standardized surveys.

January 23, 2026

N33 Embedding Mental-Health Screening into Ulcerative Colitis Care: Real-World Outcomes from Rural Primary Care

Key Points

Evaluate mental health status among ulcerative colitis patients in a rural primary care setting through standardized surveys.
Cross-sectional review of ulcerative colitis patients in a rural general practice.
Analysis of demographic data and PHQ-9/GAD-7 scores collected during a structured review.
Use of quantitative and qualitative analysis to assess mental health status and identify pattern co-occurrences.
63 patients included with a mean age of 65.37 years.
Most patients reported minimal depressive (PHQ-9 scores 0-12) and minimal anxiety (GAD-7 scores 0-7) symptoms.
Qualitative analysis revealed concerns about disease unpredictability and social isolation in rural areas.

Abstract

Abstract Background Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease associated with substantial psychosocial burden, including increased anxiety SD16.97). The cohort was 100% British, with 29 women GAD-7 = 3–6) were present in a small minority. Missing data were frequent, reflecting variable engagement with digital or remote questionnaire submission. Qualitatively, narrative comments (where provided) reflected concerns about disease unpredictability, social isolation in rural areas, & the emotional impact of symptom fluctuation. Integration of findings suggests that although measured symptom severity was low, patients experience psychological stress that may not be fully captured by PHQ-9/GAD-7 alone. Conclusion This review highlights a gap in routine MH recording in UC management within primary care. While quantitative scores appear low, qualitative reflections indicate unmet psychological needs consistent with broader literature demonstrating elevated anxiety & depression in IBD populations. Rurality may further exacerbate isolation and under-reporting. Embedding structured PHQ-9/GAD-7 screening into UC reviews is feasible and identifies otherwise undocumented symptoms. Despite low measured severity, integrated findings emphasise the importance of proactive MH assessment, particularly in rural primary-care settings. Future work should explore enhanced psychological support & digital-engagement strategies. References: Knowles, S.R., Graff, L. A., & Wilding, H. (2018). Quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease: A systematic review and meta-analyses—Part I. Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis, 12(2), 131–143. Neuendorf, R., Harding, A., Stello, N., Hanes, D., & Wahbeh, H. (2016). Depression and anxiety in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A systematic review. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 87, 70–80. Mikocka-Walus, A., & Knowles, S. (2020). Mental health in inflammatory bowel disease: A holistic, person-centred approach. The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 5(8), 745–752.* Conflict of interest: Ellis, Victoria: Non-Promotional grant from Ferring Deaney, Carl: Non-promotional grant from Ferring Kirk, Sophie: Non-promotional grant from Ferring

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Cite This Study

Ellis et al. (Thu,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69730ef2c8125b09b0d1ecc3 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1565

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