Peculiarities of psychological status in patients with functional dyspepsia: postprandial distress syndrome

Abstract

Introduction: Among all causes of epigastric pain or burning, early satiety, bothersome fullness, the most common one is functional dyspepsia (FD). Analysis of psychological peculiarities of patients with FD becomes one of the key problems. Aim: To compare the level of anxiety, depression, and social functioning of patients with postprandial distress syndrome (PDS), patients with epigastric pain syndrome (EBS), and healthy volunteers. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in adult patients with FD (58 patients with PDS and 37 patients with EPS) and healthy volunteers (30 persons). Patients’ social functioning was assessed with the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Anxiety and depression levels were measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: Patients with PDS showed significantly lower rates of physical functioning (p=0.0002), role physical (p=0.003), bodily pain (p=0.0001), general health (p=0.0001), vitality (p=0.0001), and social functioning (p=0.0003), in comparison with healthy volunteers. This group also showed significantly lower rates of general health (p=0.041), and social functioning (p=0.048), as compared to patients with EPS. FD led to an increase in anxiety levels regardless of the type of disease as compared with healthy volunteers (p=0.024). Patients with PDS had elevated depression levels compared to patients with EPS (p=0.023) and healthy volunteers (p=0.001). Conclusions: Each type of FD has a certain impact on the social functioning, anxiety and depression levels. Patients with PDS manifested significant differences in the psychological state as compared to patients with EPS, and healthy volunteers.