How is the Perception of the Disease, its Causes and Consequences Related to Somatic and Psychological Distress in Persons with Digestive Diseases?

Abstract

Background. The phenomenon of disease perception is of interest to modern specialists in the field of psychogastroenterology due to the fact that it largely determines the course and outcome of therapeutic interventions. The study of how the perception of the disease, its causes and consequences are related to somatic and psychological distress in persons with digestive diseases is a promising line of research in this direction.

Objectives. The study focuses on the perception of the disease in people with digestive diseases and its relationships with symptoms of somatic and psychological distress.

Study Participants. The study involved 138 persons who participated in online groups of patients with digestive diseases and medical forums with consultations of gastroenterologists. The participants were adults and had at least one digestive disease confirmed at a full-time appointment with a gastroenterologist (gastritis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, etc.).

Methods. To test the participants, a questionnaire was compiled containing the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (RIPQ), Somatic Symptom Scale-8 (SSS-8), Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).

Results. The perception of the disease was closely related to the symptoms of somatic and psychological distress in persons with digestive diseases. A more positive perception of the disease was associated with a lower burden of somatic, anxious, and depressive symptomatology, and by contrast, a more negative perception of the disease was associated with a greater burden of somatic, anxious, and depressive symptomatology. The nature of the cause of distress turned out to determine person’s tendency to somatic and psychological attributions: with somatic distress. People tended to “somatise” the causes of digestive diseases, linking the development of the disease with the loss of immunity; those, experiencing psychological distress, tended to “psychologise” the causes of digestive diseases, explaining the development of the disease by stress, anxiety, tension, and emotional state.

Conclusion. The significant role of the disease perception in somatic and psychological distress in persons with digestive diseases determines the importance of developing preventive and therapeutic interventions to maintain a more positive perception of person’s chronic diseases.