Risk Factors for Self-reported Irritable Bowel Syndrome With Prior Psychiatric Disorder: The Lifelines Cohort Study.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Psychiatry
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The relationship between psychiatric disorders and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) remains unclear.
• Understanding pre-existing psychiatric conditions is crucial for identifying distinct IBS risk factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if individuals with psychiatric disorders before IBS onset have different risk factors compared to those without.
• To analyze predictors of new-onset IBS in a large, population-based cohort.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, population-based Lifelines cohort study of 132,922 adults.
• Baseline data collected on socio-demographics, physical/psychiatric disorders, and psychosocial factors.
• Follow-up assessment of new IBS onsets over a mean of 2.4 years, analyzed via logistic regression, stratified by prior psychiatric disorder status.

Main Results:

• 1.1% (1507) of participants developed new-onset IBS.
• Prior psychiatric disorder was reported in 27% of new IBS cases.
• Predictors for IBS with prior psychiatric disorder included: multiple psychiatric disorders (OR 2.74), female sex, PPI use, numerous bodily symptoms, impaired sleep, low BMI, and negative health perception.

Conclusions:

• Prior psychiatric disorder is a key risk factor in approximately a quarter of IBS onsets.
• Negative health perception and multiple bodily symptoms are common predictors, aligning with the cognitive-behavioral model of IBS.
• Identifying individuals with prior psychiatric conditions may help predict treatment response and guide further research into IBS mechanisms.