Investigating the links between anxiety and irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is not well understood, Although it is not a genetic disease, people are believed to differ in their genetic susceptibility to developing IBS, which affects the digestive system. It is known that people with IBS are more likely to suffer from a range of mental health problems, including anxiety and depression.

In this talk Luke Jostins-Dean, associate professor and Sir Henry Dale fellow at the University of Oxford’s Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, will describe how common IBS is in the population and discuss the wide range of mental health problems that IBS patients suffer from.

Luke’s team surveyed more than 170,000 UK Biobank volunteers about their digestive health to better understand IBS risk factors, and the severity of people’s symptoms. Participants were also asked questions about anxiety and depression. This information was then combined with other information, including hospital medical records.

For further information, please email Sarah.Marr@ouh.nhs.uk

Link to join the talk (You Tube): https://youtu.be/7DRjNjCef_M