M
Mark Thorson
Guest
Psychol Med 1999 Mar;29(2):399-406
characteristics of patients presenting with irritable bowel
syndrome and
non-epileptic attack disorder. Reilly J, Baker GA, Rhodes J,
Salmon P. Department of Clinical Psychology, University of
Liverpool.
BACKGROUND: Physical symptoms are commonly presented for
treatment in the absence of physical pathology. This study
tests predictions
abuse leads to emotional distress, illness orientation and
social dysfunction as adults and that one or more of these
effects, in turn, leads to presentation of functional (i.e.
unexplained) symptoms. METHODS: Two groups of patients with
physical symptoms in the absence of organic disease (non-
epileptic attack disorder or irritable bowel syndrome) were
contrasted with organically diseased groups with comparable
symptoms (epilepsy and Crohn's disease, respectively).
RESULTS: Despite their contrasting clinical presentation,
irritable bowel and non-epileptic attack
physical abuse, as both children and adults, than their
comparison groups. They were also similar in being more
emotionally and socially disturbed and illness-orientated,
but these putative mediating variables could not account for
the relationship of abuse with presentation of functional
symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Adults presenting functional
neurological and abdominal symptoms are characterized by
history of abuse. The
physical, abuse in adulthood as well as childhood. The
intervening processes that link abuse to somatization remain
to be identified but are unlikely to include adult emotional
and social disturbance or general illness-orientation.
characteristics of patients presenting with irritable bowel
syndrome and
non-epileptic attack disorder. Reilly J, Baker GA, Rhodes J,
Salmon P. Department of Clinical Psychology, University of
Liverpool.
BACKGROUND: Physical symptoms are commonly presented for
treatment in the absence of physical pathology. This study
tests predictions
abuse leads to emotional distress, illness orientation and
social dysfunction as adults and that one or more of these
effects, in turn, leads to presentation of functional (i.e.
unexplained) symptoms. METHODS: Two groups of patients with
physical symptoms in the absence of organic disease (non-
epileptic attack disorder or irritable bowel syndrome) were
contrasted with organically diseased groups with comparable
symptoms (epilepsy and Crohn's disease, respectively).
RESULTS: Despite their contrasting clinical presentation,
irritable bowel and non-epileptic attack
physical abuse, as both children and adults, than their
comparison groups. They were also similar in being more
emotionally and socially disturbed and illness-orientated,
but these putative mediating variables could not account for
the relationship of abuse with presentation of functional
symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Adults presenting functional
neurological and abdominal symptoms are characterized by
history of abuse. The
physical, abuse in adulthood as well as childhood. The
intervening processes that link abuse to somatization remain
to be identified but are unlikely to include adult emotional
and social disturbance or general illness-orientation.