More than a digestive disorder: Perceived stigma in inflammatory bowel disease patients
GIST
by Neslihan Güneş Aydemir, Ali Çağrı Oral, Tuğçe Taşar Yıldırım Background Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic condition characterized by symptoms that are often difficult to conceal and may expose patients to negative social reactions. Beyond physical burden, stigma represents an important but underrecognized psychosocial challenge in IBD, potentially affecting social functioning and disease management.
To determine the prevalence of perceived stigma among patients with IBD and to evaluate its association with disease subtype, sociodemographic characteristics, clinical features, and self-esteem. Methods A total of 146 patients with IBD under regular follow-up were included in this cross-sectional study.
Perceived stigma was assessed using ten disease-specific yes/no items reflecting real-life stigma-related experiences. Sociodemographic data, clinical characteristics, and self-esteem levels measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were recorded.
Patients were classified as experiencing stigma if they endorsed at least one stigma item. Results Overall, 63.0% of patients reported at least one stigma-related experience.
The most frequently reported manifestations were social avoidance and discomfort in public settings, while overt discrimination was less common.
Clinical Editorial
Summary
PLOS ONE (Medicine) published a clinical update in Research Highlights on 26 Jun 2026.
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