ORIGINAL PAPER
Psychosocial adjustment to illness and resilience in inflammatory bowel disease outpatients:
cross-sectional evidence from Serbia
1
Institute of Criminological and Sociological Research, Belgrade, Serbia
2
Clinical Hospital Center Zvezdara, Belgrade, Serbia
Submission date: 2025-11-21
Final revision date: 2026-02-20
Acceptance date: 2026-02-20
Online publication date: 2026-04-30
Corresponding author
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Background:
This study aimed to examine psychosocial adjustment to illness and resilience among outpatients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Serbia and to evaluate the predictive role of resilience.
Participants and procedure:
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 109 IBD outpatients (47 with Crohn’s disease and 62 with ulcerative colitis). Participants completed standardized measures of resilience and psychosocial adjustment across multiple life domains, along with sociodemographic data. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, correlations, and multivariate regression to assess associations between resilience and psychosocial adjustment.
Results:
Participants demonstrated moderate to high levels of resilience and psychosocial adjustment. The highest adjustment scores were observed in personal health care, illness-related behavior, and treatment comprehension, whereas vocational and domestic domains were more affected. Regression analysis revealed that resilience significantly predicted psychosocial adjustment across several domains (i.e., personal health care, emotional response and hope for recovery, physician-provided information, treatment comprehension, social environment, and psychological distress). Notably, resilience was inversely associated with reliance on physician-provided illness information.
Conclusions:
Resilience emerged as a key predictor of psychosocial adjustment in IBD, influencing emotional, social, and cognitive do-mains of functioning. Strengthening resilience and adaptive coping capacities should be considered essential components of comprehensive IBD care, complementing medical interventions and enhancing overall functioning and long-term outcomes. Future research should examine longitudinal effects of resilience and evaluate targeted interventions aimed at improving quality of life in IBD populations.
This study aimed to examine psychosocial adjustment to illness and resilience among outpatients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Serbia and to evaluate the predictive role of resilience.
Participants and procedure:
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 109 IBD outpatients (47 with Crohn’s disease and 62 with ulcerative colitis). Participants completed standardized measures of resilience and psychosocial adjustment across multiple life domains, along with sociodemographic data. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, correlations, and multivariate regression to assess associations between resilience and psychosocial adjustment.
Results:
Participants demonstrated moderate to high levels of resilience and psychosocial adjustment. The highest adjustment scores were observed in personal health care, illness-related behavior, and treatment comprehension, whereas vocational and domestic domains were more affected. Regression analysis revealed that resilience significantly predicted psychosocial adjustment across several domains (i.e., personal health care, emotional response and hope for recovery, physician-provided information, treatment comprehension, social environment, and psychological distress). Notably, resilience was inversely associated with reliance on physician-provided illness information.
Conclusions:
Resilience emerged as a key predictor of psychosocial adjustment in IBD, influencing emotional, social, and cognitive do-mains of functioning. Strengthening resilience and adaptive coping capacities should be considered essential components of comprehensive IBD care, complementing medical interventions and enhancing overall functioning and long-term outcomes. Future research should examine longitudinal effects of resilience and evaluate targeted interventions aimed at improving quality of life in IBD populations.
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