SOCIAL-CONSEQUENCES AND QUALITY-OF-LIFE F OR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY BOWEL-DISEASE

We conducted a survey on the quality of life and social consequences f or patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Questionnaires of 41 pati ents with Crohn's disease, 28 patients with ulcerative colitis and 7 p atients with overlap colitis were evaluated. All the patients had been hospitalized in the past. 15 patients (20%) were unable to work due t o inflammatory bowel disease. 9 (12%) of these 15 patients received a disability pension. 11 patients (15%) had to change a place of work an d 16 (21%) had had financial problems due to inflammatory bowel diseas e. 4 patients (5%) had had to give up a partnership due to the disease . For 16% of the patients their perceived quality of life during the p ast 4 weeks was poor or very poor, while 35% of the patients perceived their overall quality of life as poor or very poor since the beginnin g of the disease. We conclude that inflammatory bowel disease affects job and financial matters rather than partnerships. The quality of lif e is judged by many patients as considerably diminished.