Correlation of Anxiety and Depression to the Development of Gastroesophageal Disease in the Younger Population

Abstract

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition characterized by the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus, which leads to heartburn and regurgitation. GERD has been categorized its types according to severity. The categories that have been discussed in this study are reflux esophagitis (RE), non-erosive reflux disease (NERD), and Barrett's esophagus. Our study compared various studies and showed that the subjects with GERD had a high level of anxiety and depression. Gastroesophageal reflux disease has a significant negative impact on the quality of life (QoL) by perturbing daily activities. The majority of GERD patients use antacid drugs to control their acid symptoms. However, these symptoms are sometimes difficult to control, even with the most potent proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), and these patients tend to have a lower response rate. According to the clinical data, Anxiety and Depression are linked to the development of GERD. A major focus of this study is to explore psychological influences such as anxiety and depression and how they relate to GERD. This study also reviews the effect of these conditions on the younger population. It is concluded that the quality of life (QoL) of subjects with GERD is reduced by depression and anxiety.

Keywords: acid reflux; anxiety; asymptomatic erosive esophagitis; depression; gerd; non-erosive reflux disease; psychological factors; quality of life; reflux esophagitis; younger population.

Figure 1. Symptoms of gastroesophageal disease

Figure 2. The comparison of the quality of life in three groups: non-erosive reflux disease, reflux esophagitis and healthy individuals.

Li et al. study [12].

Figure 3. Baseline characteristics of subgroups of gastrointestinal disease and their relationship to anxiety and depression.

Choi et al. study [18].

Figure 4. Subgroup analysis of crude and adjusted subjects for gastroesophageal reflux disease in patients with depression stratified according to age and sex.

Kim et al. study [19]. *Model adjusted for age, sex, income, region of residence, and histories of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, ischemic heart disease, and cerebral stroke.