What is the role of psychological and/or social factors in IBS?
Psychiatric diagnoses are present in 42-62% of IBS patients who have sought medical consultation. In comparison, psychiatric diagnoses are present in around 20% of patients with other gastrointestinal diagnoses. The majority of these psychiatric diagnoses are cases of anxiety and depression. Other common diagnoses include somatization disorder and hypochondriasis.Stress can affect the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract of all people, and particularly those with IBS. Several studies have shown that IBS patients are more likely to report that stress changes their stool pattern and leads to abdominal pain than people without bowel problems. In one study 65% of IBS patients reported a severe stressful life event prior to developing IBS.
Psychiatric diagnoses are present in 42-62% of IBS patients who have sought medical consultation. In comparison, psychiatric diagnoses are present in around 20% of patients with other gastrointestinal diagnoses. The majority of these psychiatric diagnoses are cases of anxiety and depression. Other common diagnoses include somatization disorder and hypochondriasis. Stress can affect the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract of all people, and particularly those with IBS. Several studies have shown that IBS patients are more likely to report that stress changes their stool pattern and leads to abdominal pain than people without bowel problems. In one study 65% of IBS patients reported a severe stressful life event prior to developing IBS. The kinds of psychological stressors often reported by patients with IBS vary considerably, but include: loss of a parent or spouse through death, divorce, or separation, and sometimes is accompanied by feelings of unresolved grief, and also signifi
