title: Irritable bowel syndrome: clinical and psychopathological correlations.
abstract: Irritable bowel syndrome is a common disorder in gastroenterology consultations. Our objectives were to assess patients' psychic functioning, the relationships between psychopathology and pain, the degree of psychopathology in constipated and diarrheic subgroups, and if previous abdominal surgery was related to pain intensity. Forty-five gastroenterological outpatients, both sexes, were studied. Patients were grouped as predominantly constipated, predominantly diarrheic, or alternating constipation and diarrhea. After diagnosis, patients had: Psychologist half-guided interviews, Bender Visuomotor Gestalt Test, Hammer Graphic Tests, and Rorschach Psychodiagnostic Tests. The last one showed that 78% suffered from distortion in reality perception; 100% thought away from reality and had a deficit in organizing capability, synthesis, and integration. Within psychological gnosiology, these patients would be diagnosed as borderline personalities and this would imply an overlapping of neurotic and psychotic functioning. Affective vulnerability and overadjustment to environment were found, and this finding is an original one to the best of our knowledge.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: V D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Slepoy
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Pezzotto
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kraier
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burde
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wohlwend
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Razzari
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Poletto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003109:Colonic Diseases, Functional / Q000523:psychology*; D003248:Constipation / Q000523:psychology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010554:Personality Disorders; D011581:Psychological Tests