Evaluation of personality traits in patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant professor, Clinical Research Developmental Unit, 22 Bahman Hospital, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran.

2 General physician, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran.

10.22038/jfmh.2024.80820.3140

Abstract

Introduction: Functional GastroIntestinal Disorders (FGIDs) represent the most prevalent condition in patients who come to medical clinics with abdominal symptoms. Several studies have shown that psychiatric comorbidity, including mood and anxiety disorders, is highly prevalent in patients with FGIDs. Personality traits can cause functional symptoms in a variety of diseases. However, limited studies have assessed personality characteristics in FGIDs patients. Therefore, the purpose of the present research was to compare personality traits between patients with FGIDs and healthy people based on the five-factor personality model.
 
Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, 40 patients referred to the psychosomatic clinic of Booali Sina Hospital, Qazvin, Iran, from September 2019 to March 2020 and diagnosed as FGIDs and 40 healthy individuals were participated. After a clinical interview with a psychiatrist, all participants completed the NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). The data was analyzed using Chi-square test, independent t-test, and the Pearson correlation test.
 
Results: The results showed that the mean neuroticism score in patients with FGIDs was significantly higher than that of healthy individuals (P= 0.000). Also, FGID cases had significantly lower extraversion (P= 0.000), conscientiousness (P= 0.005), openness to experiences (P= 0.023), and agreeableness (P= 0.000) scores compared to healthy subjects.
 
Conclusion: The results of this research indicated personality differences between patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders and healthy individuals. If further studies confirm this finding, new psychological interventions focused on personality characteristics may be introduced to treat functional gastrointestinal disorders.

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Journal of Fundamentals of Mental Health
Volume 26, Issue 5
September and October 2024
Pages 317-323

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