Behavioral Health Is Foundational to Better Clinical Outcomes

Having a unified, holistic behavioral health strategy is essential to improving outcomes across all clinical categories. Behavioral health is deeply interconnected with physical health, especially in populations managing chronic disease. Emerging research shows that Black and Latino patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are significantly more likely to experience post-traumatic stress related to their condition, with rates of PTSD diagnosis and symptom severity substantially higher than matched White patients (Marchese et al., 2025). Many also report extreme fear, anxiety, and perceived threats to life or bodily harm related to their disease. These findings highlight how unmanaged behavioral health needs can worsen overall health outcomes and increase total cost of care. Benefits strategies that integrate behavioral health support alongside medical care can improve engagement, clinical outcomes, and long-term cost trends. Addressing behavioral health as part of a comprehensive, PROACTIVE CARE model strengthens both individual wellbeing and overall population health.

Marchese, S. H., Raza, H. S., Naffouj, S., Mutlu, E., & Taft, T. H. (2025). Black and Latino/a participants with inflammatory bowel disease are more likely to be at risk for post-traumatic stress than their White counterparts: A matched control comparison study. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1093/ibd/izaf290