Comorbidity of gastrointestinal complaints, depression, and anxiety in the epidemiologic catchment area (ECA) study

Significant psychological morbidity occurs in irritable bowel syndrome: a case‐control study using a pharmacy reimbursement database

“…20 Walker and colleagues published the first population-based study to address this question, using a large epidemiological database, in 1992. 17 By 2005, studies using standardized diagnostic criteria for IBS in assessing psychological comorbidity were published, culminating in two large controlled community-based cross-sectional studies in Norway and Finland respectively. 13,14 Our study provides an estimate of the prevalence and incidence of antispasmodic drug prescribing in our population )6.7 ⁄ 1000 and 1.5 ⁄ 1000 person-years respectively, which is lower than estimates of the prevalence of IBS in other populations.…”

“…12 A number of studies have examined the prevalence of depression and anxiety in IBS. [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] Limitations of these studies include selection bias, disparate diagnostic criteria for IBS, depression and anxiety and assessing psychological traits as opposed to psychiatric diagnosis. Using a validated, well-characterized pharmacy reimbursement database and drug prescribing as a surrogate marker for psychological and IBS diagnosis, we examined the co-existence of psychological comorbidity in IBS in the community and evaluated the persistence of psychological co-morbidity over time.…”

Five personality dimensions in patients with irritable bowel syndrome

“…There is a growing body of evidence that it is infl uenced by psychosocial stressors. The high rates of psychiatric comorbidity in IBS patients indicate that affective symptoms may be a specifi c and integral part of the syndrome, rather than a specifi c syndrome related to a chronic intestinal disease (Walker et al 1992).…”

Free-Ranging Macaque Mothers Exaggerate Tool-Using Behavior when Observed by Offspring

“…Walker et al [52] observed 412 cases of probable IBS (with no other pain problems) and reported that individuals with IBS showed higher rates of major depression (13.4%), panic disorders (5.2%) and agoraphobia (17.8%). Whereas agoraphobia in IBS patients is believed to be caused in most cases by the fear of "not finding a bathroom on time" and can impair a person's lifestyle and career, an organic basis for agoraphobia or an association of agoraphobia with childhood abuse cannot be excluded [53,54].…”