Irritable bowel syndrome - Clinical and psychopathological correlations

Irritable bowel syndrome is a common disorder in gastroenterology consultat ions. Our objectives were to assess patients' psychic functioning, the rela tionships between psychopathology and pain, the degree of psychopathology i n constipated and diarrheic subgroups, and if previous abdominal surgery wa s related to pain intensity. Forty-five gastroenterological outpatients, bo th sexes, were studied. Patients were grouped as predominantly constipated, predominantly diarrheic, or alternating constipation and diarrhea. After d iagnosis, patients had: Psychologist half-guided interviews, Bender Visuomo tor Gestalt Test, Hammer Graphic Tests, and Rorschach Psychodiagnostic Test s. The last one showed that 78% suffered from distortion in reality percept ion; 100% thought away from reality and had a deficit in organizing capabil ity, synthesis, and integration. Within psychological gnosiology, these pat ients would be diagnosed as borderline personalities and this would imply a n overlapping of neurotic and psychotic functioning. Affective vulnerabilit y and overadjustment to environment were found, and this finding is an orig inal one to the best of our knowledge.