Psychological distress, somatization, and defense mechanisms associated with quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease patients.

BACKGROUND

Clinical parameters predict health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but some patients have impaired HRQOL despite being in clinical remission.

OBJECTIVE

To identify personality and psychological distress variables associated with HRQOL in IBD.

METHOD

In a cross-sectional study of 185 IBD patients, the General Health Questionnaire, the Hopkins' Symptoms Distress Checklist, the Defense Style Questionnaire and the Life Style Index were administered. The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire was used for the assessment of HRQOL.

RESULTS

Psychological distress was associated with impaired HRQOL in a dose-response fashion. Somatization mediated the relationships of anxiety and depression with HRQOL. Few years of education, more extensive use of the reaction-formation defense mechanism and higher rates of somatization were the variables most closely and independently associated with impaired HRQOL.

CONCLUSIONS

Somatization and reaction-formation are independent correlates of disease-specific HRQOL in IBD patients, and this could be relevant to psychological interventions.