Relationship Between Abuse History and Gastrointestinal and Extraintestinal Symptom Severity in Irritable Bowel Syndrome

This study aimed to investigate the associations between the different abuse types, and gastrointestinal (GI) and extraintestinal symptom severity in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and possible mediators of these relationships. Methods We assessed sexual and physical abuse in childhood and adulthood with the Drossman and Leserman abuse questionnaire, whereas GI and extraintestinal symptoms were assessed with the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale and the Symptom Check List-90 Revised. General linear models with bootstrapping tested the mediating role of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and GI-specific anxiety and rectal pain threshold. A path model analysis testing all relationships simultaneously was also performed. Results Among our 186 patients with IBS, an overall history of abuse (i.e., at least one type) was found in 37%. The effects of child and adult sexual abuse on GI symptom severity were fully mediated by GI-specific anxiety and rectal pain threshold (F = 21.540, R2 = 0.43, and F = 22.330, R2 = 0.44, respectively; p
Source: Psychosomatic Medicine - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLES Source Type: research