Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The impact of a temporary or permanent stoma on mental health in Crohn's Disease (CD) is unknown. AIM: To examine the association between intestinal surgery and stoma formation and subsequent antidepressant medication (ADM) use. METHODS: Using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, we identified individuals with CD who underwent intestinal surgery between 1998-2018. We excluded individuals with a prescription for an ADM in the 6 months before surgery. Individuals were stratified into three groups: no stoma, temporary stoma, and permanent stoma. We used Kaplan-Meier curves to examine initiation of ADM after intestinal surgery and Cox regression to identify risk factors for ADM use after intestinal surgery. RESULTS: We identified 1,272 cases of CD undergoing their first intestinal surgery. Of these, 871 (68.5%) had no stoma, 191 (15.0%) had a temporary stoma and 210 (16.5%) had a permanent stoma. The 10-year cumulative incidence of ADM use was 26.4%, 33.4% and 37.3% respectively. Individuals with a permanent stoma were 71% more likely to receive an ADM than those with no stoma (HR 1.71, 95% CI 1.20-2.44). Individuals with a temporary stoma reversed within 12 months had a similar likelihood of ADM use to those without stoma formation (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.64-1.53) whereas temporary stoma formation with late reversal after 12 months was associated with significantly greater likelihood of ADM use (HR 1.85, 95% CI 1.15-2.96). CONCLUSION: Permanent stomas and temporary stomas with late reversal surgery are associated with increased ADM use after intestinal surgery, likely associated with increased anxiety and depression.