COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown stress consequences in people with and without Irritable Bowel Syndrome

J.-M. Sabate (1, 2) , D. Deutsch (1) , C. Melchior (3, 4, 5, 6) , A. Entremont , F. Mion (7) , M. Bouchoucha (1) , S. Façon (1) , J.-J. Raynaud (1) , F. Zerbib (8) , P. Jouët (2, 9)

1 Hôpital Avicenne [AP-HP]
2 LPPD - Physiopathologie et Pharmacologie Clinique de la Douleur
3 IRIB - Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedicine
4 UNIROUEN UFR Santé - UNIROUEN - UFR Santé
5 Service d'Hépato-Gastroentérologie [CHU Rouen]
6 CIC Rouen - Centre d'Investigation Clinique [CHU Rouen]
7 Hôpital Edouard Herriot [CHU - HCL]
8 Hôpital Haut-Lévêque [CHU Bordeaux]
9 Hôpital Ambroise Paré [AP-HP]

Background: While all resources have been mobilized to fight COVID-19, this study aimed to analyze the consequences of lockdown and pandemic stress in participants with and without Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Methodology: An online survey was proposed to people with or without IBS during the exponential phase of the pandemic in France. The questionnaire included questions about socio-demographic data, conditions of confinement, activities carried out, IBS characteristics, measurement of stress level, consequences on sleep, fatigue, anxiety and depression, and quality of life (both perceived non-specific and specific for IBS). Results/discussion: From March 31 to April 15, 2020, 304 participants, 232 with IBS and 72 without were included in the survey (mean age: 46.8 ± 16.8 years, female gender: 75.3%). Age, level of education, financial resources, living space per person and activities performed during confinement were identical in both groups. Stress linked to fear of COVID-19, lockdown and financial worries was at the same level in both groups, but the psychological consequences and deterioration of quality of life (QOL) were both higher in IBS participants. In a univariate analysis, teleworking, solitary confinement, and low household resources had a variable impact on the scores of depression, anxiety, fatigue and non-specific perceived QOL, but in a multivariate analysis, the only factor explaining a deterioration of non-specific QOL was the fact of suffering from IBS. Conclusion/perspectives: Stress linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and confinement is high and equivalent in both IBS and non-IBS participants, with higher psychological and QOL consequences in IBS patients who have altered coping capacities.

Mots clés: COVID-19; Irritable bowel syndrome; Pandemic; Quality of life; Stress

Domaines: Physiologie [q-bio.TO]

J.-M. Sabate, D. Deutsch, C. Melchior, A. Entremont, F. Mion, et al.. COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown stress consequences in people with and without Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Ethics, Medicine and Public Health, 2021, 18, pp.100660. ⟨10.1016/j.jemep.2021.100660⟩. ⟨hal-03303110⟩