Youth depression is becoming more common, and roughly 75% of depressed teenagers go undiagnosed. Research in paediatric IBD shows an increased risk of depression, with rates as high as 25%, as well as worse adherence and treatment results related with depressed symptoms. Evidence-based psychological therapies enhance these patients’ physical and mental wellbeing, emphasising the significance of early identification and treatment. Psychosocial screening has been demonstrated to improve the accuracy with which psychosocial issues are identified and to allow early psychosocial intervention. The goal of this paper is to provide clinical recommendations for depression screening in IBD adolescents and to give tools for implementation. The ImproveCareNow (ICN) learning health system’s psychosocial screening task force group, comprised of psychologists and social workers, reviewed research and clinical guidelines in other fields and consulted with physicians, nurses, other psychosocial professionals, IBD patients, and parents of children with IBD in ICN.
Adolescents with IBD, aged 12 and above, should be evaluated for depression on a yearly basis. There are also other practical guidelines for implementation, triage, and treatment within the paediatric gastrointestinal clinic.
