29/10/2025
Irritable Bowel Syndrome & Depression: Understanding the "GUT-BRAIN AXIS".....
IBS and depression are closely linked through what’s known as the gut–brain axis, a bidirectional communication system between the central nervous system (CNS) and the enteric nervous system (ENS) (the “brain in the gut”).
About 90–95% of all serotonin in your body is in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, not the brain.
Serotonin helps coordinate gut movement and sensitivity — both of which are altered in IBS.
A Pakistani crosssectional study of 1,760 general population participants found IBS in ~25.9%, and among those with IBS depression was ~50.6% vs ~21.5% in those without IBS.
What this tells us?
Depression is much more common in people with IBS than in people without IBS.
People with depression, anxiety, or stress-related disorders are more likely to develop IBS.
Conversely, chronic IBS symptoms can lead to or worsen depression, due to the ongoing discomfort, social embarrassment, and lifestyle limitations it causes.
