title: Biopsychosocial Aspects of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders.
abstract: In this paper, we provide a general framework for understanding the functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) from a biopsychosocial perspective. More specifically, we provide an overview of the recent research on how the complex interactions of environmental, psychological, and biological factors contribute to the development and maintenance of the FGID. We emphasize that considering and addressing all these factors is a conditio sine qua non for appropriate treatment of these conditions. First, we provide an overview of what is currently known about how each of these factors - the environment, including the influence of those in an individual's family, the individual's own psychological states and traits, and the individual's (neuro)physiological make-up - interact to ultimately result in the generation of FGID symptoms. Second, we provide an overview of commonly used assessment tools which can assist clinicians in obtaining a more comprehensive assessment of these factors in their patients. Finally, the broader perspective outlined earlier is applied to provide an overview of centrally acting treatment strategies, both psychological and pharmacological, which have been shown to be efficacious to treat FGID.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Brain-Gut Axis Studies (LABGAS), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), University of Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Oudenhove
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Crowell
authors.affiliation: Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Center for Education and Practice of Biopsychosocial Care LLC, Drossman Gastroenterology PLLC, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Douglas A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Drossman
authors.affiliation: Center for Digestive Disorders, Boston Medical Center, USA, Pentucket Medical Associates, Haverhill, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Albena D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Halpert
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Laurie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Keefer
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Medicine Clinic, Department of Medicine, University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lackner
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Medicine Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Tasha B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurobiology of Stress, Departments of Medicine and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Bruce D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Naliboff
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Medicine Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Rona L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Levy
keywords: Adverse life events; anxiety; cognitive behavioral therapy; depression; exposure treatments; hypnosis; somatic symptom disorder