Abstract Background Depression is a frequent but underrecognized comorbidity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It can negatively influence disease perception, treatment adherence, and relapse frequency. The interaction between intestinal inflammation and neuropsychological distress highlights the importance of systematic mental health evaluation in IBD management. Aim To determine the prevalence and predictors of depression among Moroccan IBD patients and to assess its association with disease activity and quality of life. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between February and August 2025 at Mohammed VI University Hospital in Marrakech. Adult patients with confirmed Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis were evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), IBD-Q (quality of life index), and clinical activity indices (CDAI or partial Mayo score). Sociodemographic, clinical, and therapeutic variables were collected. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of depression. Results total of 168 patients were included (Crohn’s disease = 95, ulcerative colitis = 73). The mean age was 37.9 ± 11.6 years, with 54 % females. The overall prevalence of depressive symptoms (HADS-D ≥ 8) was 42.3 %, moderate to severe in 18.5 %. Depression was significantly more frequent in patients with active disease (57 % vs 28 %, p 0.001), recent hospitalization (46 % vs 32 %, p = 0.038), and those reporting poor social support (61 % vs 29 %, p = 0.002). Mean IBD-Q scores were markedly lower among depressed patients (139 ± 28 vs 174 ± 26; p 0.001). In multivariate analysis, active disease (OR = 2.7, 95 % CI 1.4–5.1; p = 0.002), female sex (OR = 1.9, 95 % CI 1.0–3.5; p = 0.048), and lack of social support (OR = 2.5, 95 % CI 1.3–4.7; p = 0.006) were independent predictors of depression. Conclusion Depression affects nearly half of Moroccan IBD patients and is strongly associated with disease activity and impaired quality of life.Routine psychological screening and integrated mental-health support should be incorporated into IBD care pathways to improve both emotional well-being and disease outcomes. Conflict of interest: Dr. Aouroud, Hala: No conflict of interest Aouroud, Meryem: No conflict of interest Nacir, Oussama: No conflict of interest lairani, fatima ezzahra: No conflict of interest ait errami, adil: No conflict of interest Oubaha, Sofia: No conflict of interest Samlani, Zouhour: No conflict of interest Krati, Khadija: No conflict of interest
Aouroud et al. (Thu,) studied this question.