Untangling Comorbid Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Psychiatric Disorders
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most frequent and well-studied functional gastrointestinal disorder. Being a condition for which the clinical practitioner trained according to the traditional biomedical paradigm cannot detect any organic or significant biochemical findings, it is frequently managed with reduced interest and referred to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist’s participation in the management of some IBS patients is critical and may improve the diagnosis of mental comorbidities, which are frequent in IBS, as well as the therapy. Pain is an essential feature of IBS. When pain becomes chronic, there is relevant evidence of functional reorganization of the brain. Many studies have highlighted the importance of psychological factors and personality traits in the modulation of pain expression. There is also substantial evidence that chronic pain is associated with mental disorders and substance abuse. This chapter provides a review of comorbidities in IBS at the crossroad of psychiatry with gastroenterology.