Investigation of the frequency of psychiatric symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome patients one year after diagnosis Compared with the control group by self-assessment

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that affects 5-30% of the world's population and is characterized by abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits. It has been shown that mood; anxiety and physical disorders are associated with different degrees of psychological distress in patients with IBS. The purpose of the present study is to compare the frequency of psychiatric symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome patients one year after diagnosis with the control group using self-assessment method.

In this descriptive-cross-sectional study, the number of 48 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (according to the Rome IV criteria) and 48 non-sufferers among those who referred to the gastroenterology clinic of Shahid Sayad Shirazi Hospital in Gorgan, with the available sampling method Selection and study were entered. Informed consent was obtained from the participants. Data were collected using checklist and SCL-90-R questionnaire. Then, using SPSS version 16 software and chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests, they were analyzed statistically.

The two groups of case and control were similar in terms of demographic variables, including age, gender, education, marital status, and place of residence (p<0.05). There was no difference between the two groups in terms of the total score and the score of the subscales of SCL-90-R (p<0.05). None of the demographic variables and psychiatric symptoms were identified as risk factors for IBS (p<0.05).

Based on the results of this study, patients with irritable bowel syndrome are similar to non-affected people in terms of psychiatric symptoms. Also, demographic variables and psychiatric symptoms are risk factors for they did not suffer from irritable bowel syndrome.