The irritable bowel syndrome and psychiatric disorders in the community: Is there a link?

OBJECTIVE: Psychiatric morbidity is high among patients who present to refe rral centers with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, few studies have investigated the relationship between psychiatric disturbance and IBS in c ommunity samples. We hypothesized that psychiatric disorders are linked to IBS in the general community, but this is influenced by the criteria used t o establish a diagnosis of IBS. METHODS: The data were collected from a birth cohort born in Dunedin (New Z ealand) between April 1972 and March 1973. This cohort consisted of 1037 me mbers (52% male), who were assessed at ages 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 18, 21, and 26 yr. GI symptoms were recorded at age 26 yr, using an abbreviated ve rsion of the Bowel Symptom Questionnaire; psychiatric history was obtained at ages 18 and 21 yr, using a modified version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. RESULTS: The prevalence of IBS was 12.7% according to the Manning criteria and 4.3% according to the Rome II criteria. The IBS was not significantly r elated to a diagnostic history for psychiatric illness overall. nor to a hi story of anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and substance dependence. These results were independent of the IBS criteria used, there was no asso ciation between psychiatric history and IBS when IBS was defined according to the Manning criteria (p = 0.11 to 0.98) or the Rome criteria (p = 0.18 t o 0.92): Rome and Manning criteria subjects did not significantly differ fr om each other in terms of psychiatric history (p = 0.16 to 0.89). CONCLUSION: In a cohort of young adults with IBS from New Zealand, IBS appe ars to not be related to psychiatric disorders. (Am J Gastroenterol 2001;96 :1072-1079. (C) 2001 by Am. Coll. of Gastroenterology).