Parental bonding and inflammatory bowel disease.
BACKGROUND
Previous studies have shown a relationship between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and psychological stress. Adverse parenting is recognized as an important risk factor for the development of psychiatric disorders in adulthood.


OBJECTIVE
The authors sought to further investigate this relationship by clarifying aspects of the bonding relationship in IBD patients and control subjects.


METHODS
A group of 307 patients with IBD and a group of 307 healthy subjects filled out the questionnaire Parental Bonding Instrument.


RESULTS
Patients with IBD perceived their parents' behaviors as characterized by low care and paternal overprotection; the category Optimal Parenting differs highly in the two samples.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrated an association between inadequate parenting and a chronic physical illness. These findings are consistent with a growing literature that links early parental experience to chronic illness.
Agostini
Alessandro
A
Dept. of Psychology, Univ. of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. alessandro.furey@tiscali.it
Rizzello
Fernando
F
Ravegnani
Gianni
G
Gionchetti
Paolo
P
Tambasco
Rosy
R
Ercolani
Mauro
M
Campieri
Massimo
M
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D009769:Object Attachment; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting; D011594:Psychometrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires