Childhood deprivation: an antecedent of the irritable bowel syndrome.

Three hundred and thirty-three consecutive patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were interviewed. By the age of 15 years, 31% of the patients had either lost a parent through death, divorce or separation; 19% had an alcoholic parent, and 61% reported unsatisfactory relationships with, or between their parents. The findings support the important influence of childhood deprivation in the aetiology of IBS.