Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jul 1;116(7):1485-1494.
doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000001247.

Impact of Psychological Comorbidity on the Prognosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Vivek C Goodoory  1   2 , Antonina Mikocka-Walus  3 , Yan Yiannakou  4 , Lesley A Houghton  2 , Christopher J Black  1   2 , Alexander C Ford  1   2
Affiliations
Free article

Impact of Psychological Comorbidity on the Prognosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Vivek C Goodoory et al. Am J Gastroenterol. .
Free article

Abstract

Introduction: Psychological comorbidities are associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but little is known about their cumulative effect on its prognosis. We examined this issue in a longitudinal 12-month follow-up study.

Methods: We collected complete demographic, symptom, and psychological comorbidity data (anxiety, depression, somatic symptom disorder, perceived stress, and gastrointestinal symptom-specific anxiety) at baseline from 807 adults who met Rome IV criteria for IBS. At 12 months, we collected data regarding IBS symptom severity and impact, consultation behavior, and treatments commenced from 452 individuals successfully followed up. We examined the cumulative effects of psychological comorbidities at baseline on subsequent IBS disease behavior.

Results: At baseline, among the 807 participants, 177 (21.9%) had 1, 139 (17.2%) 2, 103 (12.8%) 3, 89 (11.0%) 4, and 54 (6.7%) 5 psychological comorbidities. IBS symptom severity at baseline increased significantly with the number of psychological comorbidities (72.2% of those with 5 psychological comorbidities reported severe symptoms, vs 29.1% of those with none, P < 0.001). Among 452 (56.0%) participants followed up at 12 months, those with a higher number of psychological comorbidities at baseline were significantly more likely to have seen a gastroenterologist (33.3% of those with 5 psychological comorbidities, vs 21.4% of those with none, P = 0.001), cycle through more treatments (P < 0.0001), to report more severe IBS symptoms (66.7% with 5, vs 24.4% with none, P < 0.001) and continuous abdominal pain (22.1% with none, vs 61.9% with 5, P < 0.001), and to report that symptoms impacted on daily activities ≥50% of the time (90.5% with 5, vs 41.2% with none, P < 0.001).

Discussion: The prognosis of individuals with Rome IV-defined IBS worsens according to incremental increases in psychological comorbidity. This has important clinical and research implications.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Mearin F, Lacy BE, Chang L, et al. Bowel disorders. Gastroenterology 2016;150:1393–407.
    1. Ford AC, Sperber AD, Corsetti M, et al. Irritable bowel syndrome. Lancet 2020;396:1675–88.
    1. Oka P, Parr H, Barberio B, et al. Global prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome according to Rome III or IV criteria: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020;5:908–17.
    1. Sperber AD, Bangdiwala SI, Drossman DA, et al. Worldwide prevalence and burden of functional gastrointestinal disorders, results of Rome Foundation Global Study. Gastroenterology 2021;160(1):99–114.e3.
    1. Flacco ME, Manzoli L, De Giorgio R, et al. Costs of irritable bowel syndrome in European countries with universal healthcare coverage: A meta-analysis. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019;23:2986–3000.

MeSH terms