OBJECTIVES: We investigated the nature of illness behavior and the meaning of emotional deficiencies during childhood in patients with irritable bowel diseases (IBS). DATA: A consecutive study in two tertiary referral centers was conducted with 48 patients suffering from irritable bowel diseases (IBS) and 91 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). METHODS: The diagnosis of IBS was made by following the Manning criteria, a positive diagnosis of IBD was established through physical, endoscopic and radiologic examinations and was confirmed histologically. Psychological data were obtained by structured psychiatric interviews and psychological self-report measures (GBB). RESULTS: We found that the rate of physician visits given in the course of the disease, is increased for those having irritable bowel disease (IBS). These patients are dissatisfied with the physicians and prone to psychophysiological complaint. In the daily routine and in occupation they are more impaired than those with inflammatory disease. This finding emphasizes in particular that patients with irritable bowel diseases (IBS) have experienced emotional deficiencies in childhood as an after effect of loss, divorce of the parents etc. CONCLUSIONS: Implications for doctor-patient relationship and the necessity for epidemiological studies in Germany are discussed.
OBJECTIVES: We investigated the nature of illness behavior and the meaning of emotional deficiencies during childhood in patients with irritable bowel diseases (IBS). DATA: A consecutive study in two tertiary referral centers was conducted with 48 patients suffering from irritable bowel diseases (IBS) and 91 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). METHODS: The diagnosis of IBS was made by following the Manning criteria, a positive diagnosis of IBD was established through physical, endoscopic and radiologic examinations and was confirmed histologically. Psychological data were obtained by structured psychiatric interviews and psychological self-report measures (GBB). RESULTS: We found that the rate of physician visits given in the course of the disease, is increased for those having irritable bowel disease (IBS). These patients are dissatisfied with the physicians and prone to psychophysiological complaint. In the daily routine and in occupation they are more impaired than those with inflammatory disease. This finding emphasizes in particular that patients with irritable bowel diseases (IBS) have experienced emotional deficiencies in childhood as an after effect of loss, divorce of the parents etc. CONCLUSIONS: Implications for doctor-patient relationship and the necessity for epidemiological studies in Germany are discussed.