Gender differences in psychological distress among patients with irritable bowel syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
We examined possible gender differences in psychological distress in a sample of treatment-seeking Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) patients.


METHODS
A total of 341 IBS patients (238 females, 83 males) were studied. Structured psychiatric interviews were available on 250 participants.


RESULTS
We found significantly higher scores for females than males on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Trait Anxiety of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Scales 2 and 3 of the MMPI. However, there were no differences in the percentages of the two samples meeting criteria for one or more Axis I psychiatric disorders, with 65.6% of the total sample meeting these criteria.


CONCLUSIONS
Gender differences in psychological distress appear to be a function of method of measurement.
Blanchard
E B
EB
Center for Stress and Anxiety Disorders, University of Albany, 1535 Western Avenue, Albany, NY 12203, USA.
Keefer
L
L
Galovski
T E
TE
Taylor
A E
AE
Turner
S M
SM
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety; D003109:Colonic Diseases, Functional / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological