Illness behavior, affective disturbance and intestinal transit time in idiopathic constipation

• Published in: Journal of psychosomatic research Vol. 42; no. 1; pp. 95 - 100
• Main Authors: Chattat, Rabih, Bazzocchi, Gabriele, Balloni, Mimosa, Conti, Emanuela, Ercolani, Mauro, Zaccaroni, Stefania, Grilli, Tiziana, Trombini, Giancarlo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 1997; New York, NY Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Affective disorders; Affective disturbances; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Constipation; Constipation - classification; Constipation - physiopathology; Constipation - psychology; Female; Functional bowel disorders; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastrointestinal Transit - physiology; Humans; Hypochondriasis; Idiopathic constipation; Illness and personality; Illness behavior; Illness, stress and coping; Intestinal transit time; Middle Aged; Neurotic Disorders - complications; Neurotic Disorders - physiopathology; Patients; Psychology and medicine; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Relationship; Sick Role; Sickness behaviour; Somatization; Somatoform Disorders - complications; Somatoform Disorders - physiopathology; Somatization; Illness behavior; Idiopathic constipation; Hypochondriasis; Affective disturbances; Functional bowel disorders; Human; Mood disorder; Health; Idiopathic; Somatoform disorder; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease; Depression; Hypochondria; Behavior; Constipation
• ISSN: 0022-3999; 1879-1360
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-3999(96)00217-6

Patients with constipation differ not only from healthy subjects but can also be categorized into two groups: slow transit constipation (STC) and normal transit constipation (NTC) using measures of total intestinal transit time (TITT). We investigated the role of illness behavior and affective state in 45 NTC and 29 STC patients as compared with 20 healthy subjects. All subjects completed the Illness Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ), the Symptom Questionnaire (SQ), and the CES-D to assess illness behavior, psychological distress, and depression. The constipated patients reported more psychological distress than healthy subjects. Within the constipated group, the NTC subjects had significantly higher scores on the IBQ dimensions of hypochondriasis and disease affirmation. Our results suggest that even among constipated patients psychological distress is prominent and that measures of illness behavior help to discriminate among different pathophysiological groups.