[ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS IN FUNCTIONAL DYSPEPSIA: CAUSE OR CONSEQUENCE?]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and importance of anxiety and depression in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD), the relationship between these psychological characteristics, symptom severity and the quality of life.

We performed a cross-sectional study. 125 patients with FD according to the Rome criteria ill, as well as a control group of 30 healthy volunteers were investigated. All study participants filled out a scale to identify HADS anxiety-depressive disorder, an overall assessment of the quality of life, using a questionnaire SF-8 (standard 4-week form). FD patients were asked to rate the severity of epigastric pain (burning) or abdominal discomfort (early satiation or postprandial fullness) with LPDS scale (Leuven postprandial distress scale). All statistical analyzes were performed in the Medstat program. The results obtained with p < 0.05 and 95% CI were considered statistically significant.

Anxiety and depression were observed in 50.4% and 42.4% of FD patients, respectively, and in 13.3% and 6.66% of healthy subjects, respectively (p < 0.001 for both). The mean HADS scores for anxiety and depression in lBS patients were 7.93 ± 3.75 and 6.94 ± 3.78, respectively. Both anxiety and depression were associated with self-reported symptom severity (LPDS) (p < 0.05). As determined by correlation analysis, symptom severity was the most important factor in the prediction of anxiety and depression. Self-reported symptom severity, anxiety and depression were clearly and independently associated with the overall health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Biopsychosocial model of FD explained the difficulties of the pathogenesis of this disease. Anxiety and de- pression were frequently observed in FD patients and were related to the severity of their symptoms and the impairment of the patient's HRQOL. Our data suggest that assessing anxiety and depression is important when evaluating FD patients.