Background:The psychiatric disorders like anxiety and depression could have a profound influence on onset, expression, and course of Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Aim: To estimate the frequency and strength of association of common mental disorders (CMDs) in Patients with IBS and Patients with other chronic diseases, that is, migraine and hypertension. Method: This was a case control study. Individuals aged 18-70 years diagnosed as IBS were enrolled as cases. The control groups consisted of Patients without IBS but diagnosed to have a chronic disease, that is, migraine or HTN. Self-Reporting Questonnaire-20(SRQ-20) was used as a screening tool for the detection of CMD.

Results:

82 Patients were enrolled in each group. Mean SRQ score was significantly higher in IBS group than controls (9.9 4.5 versus 4.9 3.6, P < 0.001). CMDs were more frequent (67.1% versus 22%) and the odds of CMD were 7.24 times higher among IBS Patients than controls (95% CI 3.6-14.5, P < 0.001). No difference was found in frequency of CMDs among various subtypes of IBS.

Conclusion:

We found that CMDs are more common and strongly associated with IBS as compared to other chronic diseases. Early screening for CMDs might be useful for an effective management of IBS.