Resilience in Adult Coeliac Patients on a Gluten-Free Diet: A Cross-Sectional Multicentre Italian Study

Background: Data on resilience, the ability to recover from adversity, in coeliac disease (CeD) are lacking. Aim: To assess the degree of resilience in patients with CeD on a gluten-free diet (GFD), and its association with clinical features, sociodemographic factors, psychological morbidity, and quality of life (QOL). Methods: A cross-sectional multicentre Italian study was conducted on adult CeD patients between May 2022 and April 2023. Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the Coeliac Disease-specific Quality of Life Scale (CD-QOL), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory scale (STAI-Y), and the Beck Depression Inventory scale (BDI) were used to evaluate resilience, QOL, anxiety, and depression, respectively. A multivariate analysis was conducted to identify factors independently associated with the degree of resilience. Results: A total of 305 patients (221 F, mean age at CeD diagnosis 36 ± 16 years) on a long-term GFD (median 8 years, IQR 3-17) were enrolled. A total of 298/305 patients (98%) had a high level of resilience (CD-RISC ≥ 35). At univariate analysis, resilience was statistically associated with male gender (p = 0.03), age at enrolment (p = 0.02), marital status (p = 0.03), QOL (p < 0.001), anxiety (p < 0.001), and depression (p < 0.001). On multivariate regression analysis, trait anxiety (STAI-Y2, p < 0.001) and depression (BDI, p = 0.02) were independent predictors of lower levels of resilience. Conclusions: Higher trait anxiety predicts lower levels of resilience. Targeted interventions in this subgroup of patients may be helpful for their management and follow-up.