Psychiatric Co-Morbidities and Profile of Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Northern India

Abstract

Objectives: To study sociodemographic and clinical variables, including psychiatric co-morbidities, in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Methods: A total of 158 patients attending a medical gastroenterology clinic in a tertiary care center in Northern India were screened, from whom 100 were selected for the study. Rome IV criteria were used to diagnose IBS, and the severity of symptoms was assessed by the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptom Severity Scale (IBS-SSS). Psychiatric co-morbidities were screened via clinical evaluation, and if present, a diagnosis was made as per DSM-5. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and Somatic Symptom Scale-8 (SSS-8) were used to assess depression, anxiety, stress, and somatic symptoms.

Result: The mean age of cases was 35.6 years' old, and the majority of cases (i.e., 38.0%) were between 18 and 29 years' old. Males comprised 62.0% of the sample and females 38.0%. Moderate IBS was present in 61.0% of the cases. Evaluation via DASS-21 revealed that 53.0% were in the moderate category of depression, 43.0% had moderate anxiety, and 36.0% had moderate stress. The somatic symptom scale revealed that 48.0% patients were in the high category. Psychiatric co-morbidities were present in 29.0% of cases. Depressive disorders were the most common psychiatric co-morbidity.

Conclusions: Patients with IBS presenting to a tertiary care center in Northern India were primarily young males living in semi-urban areas who belonged to the Hindu religion, were married, and had a nuclear family. Patients with IBS commonly have associated psychiatric disorders; anxiety disorders and depression are most common.

Keywords: anxiety; irritable bowel syndrome; psychiatric co-morbidities; somatic symptoms; stress.

Figure 1

Research flowchart. GI—gastrointestinal; IBS—irritable bowel syndrome; DASS-21—Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21; SSS-8—Somatic Symptom Scale-8; SDS—Sheehan Disability Scale; SOFAS—Social and Occupational Functioning Scale.