PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF FUNCTIONAL GI DISORDERS

PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF FUNCTIONAL GI DISORDERS
Scientists are finding increasing evidence that emotional and psychosocial factors play a role in functional gastrointestinal disorders. In an important paper published in the journal Gut in 1999, Dr. Douglas Drossman, of the Division of Digestive Diseases at the University of North Carolina, concluded that there is clear support for psychotherapeutic treatments, especially on a long-term basis. He also noted that antidepressants are useful for treating these conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Psychosocial factors, Dr. Drossman said, influence the actual physiology of the gut, as well as the modulation of symptoms, the course of the illness, the outcome, and the choice of therapy. Psychology combines physical factors to cause pain and other bowel symptoms. Dr. Drossman reported that for patients in gastrointestinal clinics, severe life stress often precedes the onset of functional bowel disorders.
These observations suggest that at least some patients with functional GI conditions might find relief with therapy to relieve stress. And sure enough, in 2003, Dr. Drossman reported that 70% of IBS patients in his study reported less pain, bloating, and diarrhea after 12 weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy—a kind of talk therapy that encourages an optimistic frame of mind.
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