Researchers at the Center for Psychosocial Research in IBD have found that social attitudes may impact IBD patient outcomes. The study was recently published in the journal Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, and found that over 80% of study participants with IBD reported experiencing some social stigma about having IBD. Stigma has been found to affect many different groups, including people with chronic illnesses such as HIV, psoriasis, epilepsy, and mental illness. This study is the first of its kind in examining the role that stigma may play in the quality of life of people with IBD. The next phase of this research is underway to better understand IBD stigma.

The article may be found here (login account required):
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/jour ... 1/abstract