2023-09-20 19:00:22
The importance of research in gastroenterology to improve the quality of life of patients
(HealthDay News) – Many older adults suffer from digestive diseases that can be debilitating. They may also be linked to loneliness and depression, according to a new study.
“These conditions are very common in outpatient care,” said Dr. Shirley Cohen-Mekelburg, a gastroenterologist who specializes in problems such as inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, at the University of Michigan Medical Branch. .
Although greater emphasis has been placed on determining why so many Americans develop digestive diseases, current approaches often do not consider the impact of psychosocial factors, Cohen-Mekelburg said.
“As physicians, it is important for us to pay attention to the psychosocial factors involved in our patients’ lives, but they are often overlooked,” he said in a University of Michigan Medical news release. “These factors have the potential to significantly impact gastrointestinal health and also play a crucial role in the overall well-being of our patients.”
Digestive diseases in older adults are a topic of growing concern, and their relationship with psychosocial factors such as loneliness and depression is a growing area of research (Getty)
A team of gastroenterologists and hepatologists (specialists in the liver, gallbladder and pancreas) examined rates of loneliness, depression and social isolation in older adults both with and without digestive diseases and “wanted to quantify these numbers with self-reported rates of poor health.” said Cohen-Mekelburg.
They used data from 2008 to 2016 from the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study, which has a representative sample of regarding 20,000 people ages 50 and older and their spouses.
Cohen-Mekelburg pointed out that loneliness is subjective, it is feelings of distress from being alone. Meanwhile, social isolation is objective: physical separation from other people but independent of psychological well-being.
“Therefore, there are people who live in isolation but are well adjusted, do not feel loneliness and report high psychological well-being. But, on the other hand, there are also people who are socially connected, but suffer from low psychological well-being and loneliness. This , despite having a strong social network,” Cohen-Mekelburg said.
Loneliness, a subjective feeling that can have tangible repercussions on physical health Getty
From a group of more than 7,000 participants, the team identified that 56% of individuals had a digestive disease and 44% did not have one.
Overall, regarding 60% of respondents with digestive illnesses and 56% of respondents without digestive illnesses reported feeling lonely. Severe depression was present in 13% of patients and 8% of healthy digestive system patients. Finally, approximately 9% in both groups reported social isolation.
“We found that people with a digestive disease were more likely to report ‘poor or fair health’ compared to those without one. And among patients with a digestive illness, loneliness, as well as moderate to severe depression, were associated with higher odds of self-reporting ‘poor or fair health,'” Cohen-Mekelburg said.
She hopes the findings will eventually empower gastroenterologists to screen patients for depression and loneliness in addition to their physical symptoms.
Health is not just physical, emotional and psychological factors play a crucial role in overall well-being Getty
“By doing so, providers can better establish care pathways for their patients’ mental health treatment, which is enormously important,” Cohen-Mekelburg said. “Our research shows that gastroenterologists are uniquely positioned to help their patients achieve good overall health. Being aware of the connection between loneliness, depressive symptoms and digestive illnesses can really benefit your patients from a holistic perspective.”
The findings were recently published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
More information. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more information regarding the links between social isolation, loneliness and health problems.
SOURCE: Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan, news release, September 12, 2023.
*Cara Murez. Health Day Reporters. Healthday Spanish. © The New York Times 2023
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