[Functional stomach and intestinal complaints in young adults: incidence, follow-up, personality and psychosocial factors].

The prevalence rates and the course of functional gastrointestinal disorders in addition to psychopathology and psychosocial factors which are assumed to be associated with functional disorders were longitudinally investigated in an epidemiological cohort study of young adults aged 21-30 from the Canton of Zurich (Switzerland), by means of four interviews. Case definition was based on operational criteria concerning frequency and duration of symptoms reported by the subjects. One-year prevalence rates of (functional) stomach complaints and intestinal complaints were found to vary between 8.7 and 12.7 percent, and 9.1 and 11.1 percent, respectively, depending an the year of the interview. Subjects with stomach complaints scored higher on depression, anxiety and hostility (Hopkins Symptom Check List, Freiburger Persönlichkeitsinventar) then the controls. These associations were less strong among subjects with intestinal complaints. In addition, both complaints were found to be associated with scores on a life events measure, with distress from the social network, and with lack of social support.