Irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, depression and personality characteristics.
BACKGROUND
Numerous studies have suggested that 54%-100% of patients with IBS may have associated psychiatric illness and personality pathology. This transversal controlled study was realized in order to evaluate anxiety and depression levels, as well as the personality characteristics of patients with IBS and to compare the results obtained with patients with episodes of depression and healthy individuals.


METHODS
The experimental group consisted of 30 IBS patients, while two control groups consisted of the same number of inpatients with episodes of depression and healthy individuals from the general population. There were equal number of men and women in the study sample and all subjects were aged between 25 to 65 years. Standard psychometric instruments employed included Hamilton anxiety scale, Zung depression scale, Hamilton depression scale, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), Eysenck Perosonality Inventory (EPI).


RESULTS
The average Hamilton and Zung depression scores were significantly higher in patients with depressive episodes compared with the IBS patients, while the mentioned scores among them were also significantly higher compared with the healthy controls. There were no significant differences between IBS and the group with depressive episodes in the average Hamilton anxiety levels, EPI neuroticism and extraversion levels and MMPI neurotic scales levels (Hs, D, and Hy). The significant differences were observed comparing the IBS patients to healthy individuals.


CONCLUSIONS
The patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome who asked for medical help (consulters) because of their intestinal symptoms, presented emotional problems such as depression and anxiety and expressed neurotic personality characteristics.
Tosic-Golubovic
Suzana
S
Psychiatry Clinic Nis, Gornja Toponica, Serbia. gnebojsa@bankerinter.net
Miljkovic
Srbobran
S
Nagorni
Aleksandar
A
Lazarevic
Dusan
D
Nikolic
Gordana
G
D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002605:Character; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012016:Reference Values; D012017:Referral and Consultation