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The Association Between Personality Traits and Irritable Bowel Syndrome-Insights From an Exploratory Cohort Study
Sylvester R Groen1,2, Zsa Zsa R M Weerts1,2, Lisa Vork1,2
1Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Neurogastroenterology and Motility
|June 22, 2026
Summary
Personality traits like neuroticism are linked to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms and lower quality of life. Understanding these connections can help personalize IBS treatment approaches.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Gastroenterology
- Psychology
Background:
- Psychological factors, including personality traits, influence irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) development and health-related quality of life (HrQoL).
- Significant individual variability exists in how personality traits affect IBS and HrQoL.
- The study aimed to explore associations between specific personality traits and IBS outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine between-person and within-sample associations of neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness, openness, and agreeableness with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms.
- To investigate the relationship between personality traits and psychological factors in IBS patients.
- To determine the impact of personality traits on health-related quality of life (HrQoL) in individuals with IBS.
Main Methods:
- Utilized cross-sectional data from an observational IBS study with 194 participants.
- Assessed personality traits using the Big Five Inventory (BFI)-44.
- Employed multivariable regression and network correlation analyses to evaluate symptom severity, general and GI-specific anxiety, and HrQoL.
Main Results:
- Neuroticism strongly correlated with increased GI-specific and general anxiety, and decreased mental HrQoL.
- Extraversion showed an inverse relationship with mental HrQoL and was associated with neuroticism.
- No direct link was found between abdominal pain and personality traits, but anxiety levels were significantly higher in relation to GI symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Reinforces the significant association between personality traits and IBS, emphasizing their connection to psychological factors and GI symptoms.
- Supports a multifactorial and personalized approach to managing IBS.
- Advocates for integrating personality assessments, particularly neuroticism and extraversion, into the biopsychosocial model for IBS treatment.
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