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.
Method: 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.
Conclusion: 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.