Relationship between irritable bowel syndrome and depression/anxiety disorders

Objective:To explore the relationship between irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and depression/anxiety disorders.Method:The structured clinical interview Axis I disorders (SCID-I-P) of manual of mental disorders IV (DSM-IV),self-rating anxiety scale(SAS) and self-rating depression scale(SDS) were used to assess the depression and anxiety disorders in 126 patients with IBS(IBS group),the results were compared with 126 healthy controls(control group).Results:The standard scores of SDS and SAS in IBS group were significantly higher than control group(all P0.001).The incidence of depression/anxiety disorder in IBS group was 4.76%(6 cases),only 1 case diagnosed anxiety disorder was prior to the onset of IBS.The incidence of depression and/or anxiety state in IBS group (52.4%,66 cases)was significantly higher than control group (34.9%,44 cases)(P0.01).Conclusion:IBS is not the continuation of depression/anxiety disorder,but occurrence of depression/anxiety is closely associated with IBS.