Stress, coping, and depression in non-ulcer dyspepsia patients

Thirty adults with upper gastrointestinal symptoms in the absence of struct ural organic disease diagnosed with non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) were compared to 30 healthy adults who had visited the hepatobiliary clinic for medical evaluation of nonorganic complaints without NUD. Medical investigation in b oth groups were negative. Before independent gastrointestinal physicians co nducted diagnostic evaluations, all subjects were evaluated for anxiety and depressive symptoms, stressful life events, coping style, and social suppo rt. The measures included Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R), Beck Dep ression Inventory (BDI), Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Ways of Coping Checklist, and Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, and a self-report questionnaire, which measured the quantity of perceived stressf ul life events. The NUD patients reported significantly more symptoms of de pression, more perceived stressful life events, less problem-focused coping , and less social support than the control subjects. Depressive symptoms we re negatively correlated with interpersonal support, whereas problem-focuse d coping was positively correlated with interpersonal support in the NUD pa tients. The two groups did not differ significantly in terms of anxiety and emotion-focused coping. The implications of these findings for the diagnos is and treatment of NUD are discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All r ights reserved.