About the PhD thesis

The thesis aims to examine how inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with onset in childhood or youth affects the transitional steps of completing education and entering the workforce, and how these transitions are influenced by comorbid mental health disorders. The thesis consists of four register-based studies:

Study I and II. Educational attainment, both upper secondary and post-secondary, was generally not affected in patients with IBD-onset before 18 years of age. Patients with severe IBD had a lower chance of completing upper secondary education, while comorbid mental health disorders adversely affected both educational outcomes.

Study III Patients with IBD had a higher risk of low labour market participation compared to references. This was primarily due to patients with severe IBD having a higher risk of low labour market participation. Patients with comorbid mental health disorders had a high risk of low labour market participation, but it was in line with references with mental health disorders.

Study IV Patients with IBD had primarily a higher risk of emotional disorders and of receiving psychotropic medication compared to matched references. However, the risk varied between Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, as well as with age at diagnosis.

The findings of this thesis can be reassuring for patients with IBD and their parents, as completion of educational attainment and entering the workforce is not affected in most patients. However, the thesis also highlights the importance of identifying patients with comorbid mental health disorders, particularly among those with severe IBD.