Longitudinal analysis of the illness representation model in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

A prospective longitudinal study explored the illness representation model of patients with irritable bowel syndrome: how representations may change; whether they predict subsequent psychological outcome; and whether any link between representation and outcome may be mediated by coping. Patients were recruited from primary care. Representations were found to be stable over time, and they did predict outcome to some extent, but coping played no part in mediating the link. The findings raise important questions about using the illness representation model with chronic illness, and about the role of coping in the model.