Mental Strain and Chronic Stress among University Students with Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Aim. To investigate the degree of mental strain and chronic stress in a German community sample of students with IBS-like symptoms. Methods and Materials. Following an internet-based survey about stress, this study recruited 176 German university students (23.45±2.48 years; 48.3% males) with IBS-lik...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2013-01-01
|
| Series: | Gastroenterology Research and Practice |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/206574 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832556427338579968 |
|---|---|
| author | Marco D. Gulewitsch Paul Enck Juliane Schwille-Kiuntke Katja Weimer Angelika A. Schlarb |
| author_facet | Marco D. Gulewitsch Paul Enck Juliane Schwille-Kiuntke Katja Weimer Angelika A. Schlarb |
| author_sort | Marco D. Gulewitsch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aim. To investigate the degree of mental strain and chronic stress in a German community sample of students with IBS-like symptoms. Methods and Materials. Following an internet-based survey about stress, this study recruited 176 German university students (23.45±2.48 years; 48.3% males) with IBS-like symptoms according to Rome III and 181 students without IBS (23.55±2.82 years; 50.3% males) and compared them regarding current mental strain (SCL-90-R) and the extend of chronic stress. Beyond this, IBS subtypes, IBS severity, and health care utilization were assessed. Results. Students fulfilling IBS criteria showed significantly elevated values of mental strain and chronic stress. Nearly 40% of the IBS group (versus 20% of the controls) reached a clinically relevant value on the SCL-90-R global severity scale. IBS subtypes did not differ in terms of mental distress or chronic stress. Somatization, anxiety, and the chronic stressors “work overload,” “social tension,” and “dissatisfaction with job” were most closely connected to IBS symptom severity. Regarding health care utilization, our results show that consulting a physician frequently was not associated significantly with elevated mental strain or chronic stress but with IBS symptom severity. Conclusion. Our data contribute additional evidence to the distinct association between psychological stress and IBS in community samples. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-788315977ccb415282c97f36702aa5ab |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-6121 1687-630X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2013-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Gastroenterology Research and Practice |
| spelling | doaj-art-788315977ccb415282c97f36702aa5ab2025-02-03T05:45:25ZengWileyGastroenterology Research and Practice1687-61211687-630X2013-01-01201310.1155/2013/206574206574Mental Strain and Chronic Stress among University Students with Symptoms of Irritable Bowel SyndromeMarco D. Gulewitsch0Paul Enck1Juliane Schwille-Kiuntke2Katja Weimer3Angelika A. Schlarb4Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Schleichstraße 4, 72076 Tübingen, GermanyDepartment of Internal Medicine VI/Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Frondsbergstraße 23, 72076 Tübingen, GermanyDepartment of Internal Medicine VI/Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Frondsbergstraße 23, 72076 Tübingen, GermanyDepartment of Internal Medicine VI/Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Frondsbergstraße 23, 72076 Tübingen, GermanyDepartment of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Schleichstraße 4, 72076 Tübingen, GermanyAim. To investigate the degree of mental strain and chronic stress in a German community sample of students with IBS-like symptoms. Methods and Materials. Following an internet-based survey about stress, this study recruited 176 German university students (23.45±2.48 years; 48.3% males) with IBS-like symptoms according to Rome III and 181 students without IBS (23.55±2.82 years; 50.3% males) and compared them regarding current mental strain (SCL-90-R) and the extend of chronic stress. Beyond this, IBS subtypes, IBS severity, and health care utilization were assessed. Results. Students fulfilling IBS criteria showed significantly elevated values of mental strain and chronic stress. Nearly 40% of the IBS group (versus 20% of the controls) reached a clinically relevant value on the SCL-90-R global severity scale. IBS subtypes did not differ in terms of mental distress or chronic stress. Somatization, anxiety, and the chronic stressors “work overload,” “social tension,” and “dissatisfaction with job” were most closely connected to IBS symptom severity. Regarding health care utilization, our results show that consulting a physician frequently was not associated significantly with elevated mental strain or chronic stress but with IBS symptom severity. Conclusion. Our data contribute additional evidence to the distinct association between psychological stress and IBS in community samples.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/206574 |
| spellingShingle | Marco D. Gulewitsch Paul Enck Juliane Schwille-Kiuntke Katja Weimer Angelika A. Schlarb Mental Strain and Chronic Stress among University Students with Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Gastroenterology Research and Practice |
| title | Mental Strain and Chronic Stress among University Students with Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome |
| title_full | Mental Strain and Chronic Stress among University Students with Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome |
| title_fullStr | Mental Strain and Chronic Stress among University Students with Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mental Strain and Chronic Stress among University Students with Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome |
| title_short | Mental Strain and Chronic Stress among University Students with Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome |
| title_sort | mental strain and chronic stress among university students with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/206574 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT marcodgulewitsch mentalstrainandchronicstressamonguniversitystudentswithsymptomsofirritablebowelsyndrome AT paulenck mentalstrainandchronicstressamonguniversitystudentswithsymptomsofirritablebowelsyndrome AT julianeschwillekiuntke mentalstrainandchronicstressamonguniversitystudentswithsymptomsofirritablebowelsyndrome AT katjaweimer mentalstrainandchronicstressamonguniversitystudentswithsymptomsofirritablebowelsyndrome AT angelikaaschlarb mentalstrainandchronicstressamonguniversitystudentswithsymptomsofirritablebowelsyndrome |