Parental Bonding and Inflammatory Bowel Disease

BackgroundPrevious 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.ObjectiveThe authors sought to further investigate this relationship by clarifying aspects of the bonding relationship in IBD patients and control subjects.MethodA group of 307 patients with IBD and a group of 307 healthy subjects filled out the questionnaire Parental Bonding Instrument.ResultsPatients with IBD perceived their parents’ behaviors as characterized by low care and paternal overprotection; the category Optimal Parenting differs highly in the two samples.ConclusionThis 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.