Mihaela FADGYAS-STANCULETE*1, Dan Lucian DUMITRASCU2, Cristina POJOGA3,4, Laurentiu NEDELCU5
1Department of Neurosciences, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
22nd Department of Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
3Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
4Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Octavian Fodor,
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
5Department of Internal Medicine, Transilvania University,
Brasov, Romania
Abstract
Background: The objective of this study was to explore the role of experience and expression of anger, coping mechanisms and dysfunctional attitudes in predicting membership to either an irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or a control group.
Materials and methods: A total of 125 participants 70 IBS and 55 age and gender matched controls ) completed a battery of self-report inventories assessing coping mechanism strategies (Brief-COPE inventory), dysfunctional attitudes (Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale), anger experience and expression style (STAXI-2). Logistics regression analysis were used to assess predictive contribution of different variables to IBS diagnosis.
Results: Significant predictors of IBS were found to be problem-focused coping, avoidant- focused coping, and levels of dysfunctional attitudes. A prediction of membership to IBS and to control group was made using these variables, 75.7% (for IBS) and 65.5% (for control group). The model is significant with a coefficient Nagelkerke R2 = 0.30. Hosmer and Lemeshow test confirms that the model is significant, with a risk of 5%.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that coping strategies (problem-focused and avoidance-focused), as well as the level of irrational cognitions, account for a high percentage of the differences between an IBS and control group. Psychotherapy represents a treatment option in IBS and may improve the health outcomes.
Keywords: anger, coping mechanisms, dysfunctional attitudes, irritable bowel syndrome.
