"Body and mind are inseparable and are interrelated in numerous and complex ways, something now recognized in medicine. In many centers, mind-body institutes are flourishing. It has been observed that at times of physical or emotional stress, patients may experience flare-ups of symptoms, such as increasing abdominal pain or diarrhea. This relates to changes in the physiologic functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and decreased resistance to inflammation, rather than to increased inflammation. These effects, however, should be carefully separated from the primary cause of IBD, which is not emotionally based. The symptoms of many diseases, even those with no known biological cause, can get worse in stressful situations. There is some data that shows that patients with IBD who also have certain psychological conditions, such as depression and anxiety, may have worsened disease outcomes in certain areas. Also, some small studies have shown that patients with increased depressive symptoms may have more disease flares. Therefore, physicians who treat IBD are learning more and more that is highly important to help patients employ strategies to alleviate depression and anxiety symptoms to help patients’ health overall."

References:

1. https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/sites/default/files/legacy/assets/pdfs/emotional.pdf