PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN PATIENTS WITH GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE

Background: Psychological factors play a role in a variety of gastroin testinal illnesses, including esophageal diseases, The role of psychol ogical factors in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is not known. The purpose of this study was to determine if psychological distress is present in patients with reflux disease, Methods: We performed psyc hological assessments in 51 patients with documented gastroesophageal reflux disease and in 43 age-matched controls using a battery of instr uments, Results: Patients with reflux differed from controls on scales of depression, somatization, anxiety, and intensity of reporting symp tom distress, However, a secondary analysis revealed that it was a sub set of reflux patients (30%) that accounted for the differences betwee n the two groups, Conclusions: These results suggest that although mos t patients with GERD are psychologically similar to patients without G ERD, a subset of psychologically distressed patients are more likely t o be found among patients with GERD, They suffer from general psycholo gical distress rather than a specific psychiatric disorder, This psych ological factor could affect the clinical manifestations of reflux dis ease in these individuals, Recognition and management of psychological distress in this subgroup may aid in the management of reflux disease .