Psychologic factors in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of functional abdominal complaints

Functional abdominal complaints are frequently a reason to refer a patient to an outpatients' clinic for internal medicine. According to general views, certain psychologic and anamnestic data can constitute an indication for the diagnosis 'functional'. However, in our experience patients with functional complaints cannot be distinguished from patients with organic disease on such data. These same anamnestic and psychologic data, however, do have value in predicting the outcome of the complaints. Apparently, psychologic factors play a role in the course of functional abdominal complaints. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that prognosis of functional abdominal complaints can be improved by psychologic intervention, and we offered our patients such a psychologic intervention in the form of a cognitive-behavioural group treatment. The first, encouraging, results are presented.