Disparities and trends in suicidal ideations for inflammatory bowel disease hospitalizations: a decade-long national database analysis

Aim: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are more likely to develop anxiety or depression. The study aimed to describe the trends and disparities of suicidal ideation (SI) in hospitalized IBD patients. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, to analyze SI among the IBD hospitalizations from 2009 to 2019. Bivariate analysis was conducted using a chi-square test for categorical variables and an independent t-test for continuous variables. For prevalence, the trend over time was evaluated using the score test. Results: There were 1,724 IBD hospitalizations with SI for the study period. There was a male (53.8%) and white race (74.2%) predominance. The mean age was 41.47 ± 0.25 years. The hospital stay decreased for IBD hospitalizations with SI from 7.97 days in 2009 to 7.57 days in 2019 (P < 0.001). The mean hospital charge increased from $44,664 in 2009 to $66,639 in 2019 (P < 0.001). The prevalence of SIs increased from 0.17% in 2009 to 0.29% in 2019 (P < 0.001). The mean age of these hospitalizations increased from 38 years in 2009 to 42.3 years in 2019 (P = 0.02). The prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) increased from < 1% in 2009 to 12.19% in 2019 (P < 0.001). The prevalence of depression increased from 18.04% in 2009 to 51.21% in 2019 (P < 0.001). Inpatient mortality increased from 0% in 2009 to 2.43% in 2019 (P = 0.024). Among IBD hospitalizations, the male gender had a higher association with SIs than females (odds ratio 1.32 [95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.06–1.66], P = 0.014). Conclusions: There is a rise of SI among the IBD population. Specialized protocols should be in place in clinical settings and communities to identify and assess high-risk patients.