Self-Perceived Stress Is Associated With Chest Pain and Personality in Patients With Refractory Functional...

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Psychiatry
• Psychology

Background:

• Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) are often linked to stressful life events.
• Understanding the relationship between stress severity, FGID, and psychological factors is crucial for effective patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between the severity of self-perceived stress and specific FGID diagnoses and personality characteristics.
• To explore how stress levels influence FGID presentation and psychological profiles in a patient cohort.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 822 FGID patients completed the Rome III questionnaire, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2 (MMPI-2), and a stress severity scale.
• Patients were categorized into low, moderate, and severe stress groups based on their self-reported stress levels.
• Statistical analyses were performed to identify correlations between stress severity, FGID subtypes, and MMPI-2 personality scales.

Main Results:

• Severe stress was more prevalent in females and strongly correlated with MMPI-2 posttraumatic stress scales.
• Patients with severe stress reported noncardiac chest pain more frequently than those with moderate stress.
• Increased hysteria and depression scores on the MMPI-2 were associated with mild stress and a higher incidence of irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea.

Conclusions:

• Self-perceived stress severity is significantly associated with specific FGID symptoms, notably noncardiac chest pain.
• Personality characteristics, as measured by the MMPI-2, vary significantly with stress severity in FGID patients.
• These findings highlight the importance of assessing and managing psychological stress in FGID patients to improve clinical outcomes.