Journal of Depression and Anxiety
Open Access
ISSN: 2167-1044
+44 1223 790975
ISSN: 2167-1044
+44 1223 790975
Lili Shi, Jinya Cao, Nana Xiong, Xiaohui Zhao, Jing Jiang, Liming Zhu, Zhifeng Wang, Xiaohong Sun, Xiucai Fang and Jing Wei
Background: To investigate the comorbidity of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) in current major depressive disorder (MDD) patients.
Method: The prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms and the comorbidity of FGIDs were studied in a set of consecutively enrolled current MDD patients in a general hospital psychiatric outpatient clinic from Mar, 17th, 2011 to Dec, 31st, 2011. A total of consenting 62 patients were included. MDD diagnosis was made by experienced psychiatrists according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria. FGIDs diagnosis was based on Rome III diagnostic questionnaire and approved by gastroenterologists.
Result: In this group, 58 (93.5%) reported gastrointestinal symptom, the most prevalent symptom is abdominal pain or bloating or discomfort (87.1%), followed by diarrhea or constipation (85.5%), decreased or increased appetite (83.9%), reduced or increased food intake (83.9%), burp or belching (77.4%), nausea or vomiting (46.8%). Forty-six of the total 62 patients (74.2%) met the criteria of one or more FGIDs. In these 46 patients, 30 (65.2%) patients have overlap syndrome (two or more FGIDs). Functional dyspepsia (FD) is the most prevalent (54.8%), then belching disorder (29.0%), functional heartburn (16.1%), unspecified functional bowel disorder (16.1%) and irritable bowel syndrome (12.9%).
Conclusion: In current MDD patients, gastrointestinal symptoms are common and a large percentage of them can already be diagnosed as FGIDs comorbidity, which demands clinical attention and future research.