title: Early life factors initiate a 'vicious circle' of affective and gastrointestinal symptoms: A longitudinal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) have been shown to be associated with both comorbid mood disorders and traumatic events such as abuse earlier in life. In a longitudinal study, we tested a model that hypothesized: (i) childhood abuse was associated with subsequent mood disorder and pain or interference in life by bowel symptoms both directly and indirectly via neurotic personality; and (ii) an ongoing cycle of mood disorder impacts on bowel symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects from the general population classified as irritable bowel syndrome and/or functional dyspepsia (IBS/FD, n = 207) or free of FGID (n = 100) were prospectively studied every 6 months over 18 months. In addition to bowel symptom interference and abdominal pain, measures of personality (neuroticism), childhood abuse history, depression, and anxiety were obtained. The hypothesized model was tested via Path Modelling.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Childhood abuse was found to be directly associated with neuroticism but only indirectly associated with baseline interference and mood disorders (via neuroticism). The data further supported an ongoing cycle of elevations in mood disorders and pain/interference by bowel symptoms. The data supported direct effects of interference at one time point on interference at the subsequent time point in addition to indirect effects of prior anxiety and depression. Repeating the model with pain frequency as the outcome yielded almost identical findings which suggests the findings are generalized across domains of symptoms and quality-of-life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data provide support for a model characterized by a 'vicious circle' between mood disorders and FGID symptoms in adulthood, with initial input from early life factors.
authors.affiliation: Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Lukas Van
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Oudenhove
authors.affiliation: University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koloski
authors.affiliation: University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tack
authors.affiliation: University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Talley
keywords: Anxiety and depression; biopsychosocial; childhood abuse; functional dyspepsia; irritable bowel syndrome