[Psychosocial factors in patients with duodenal ulcer].

The authors review the current literature on psychosocial aspects of duodenal ulcer. The initial simple psychosomatic approach, has evolved to a multifactorial schema in which stress and individual vulnerability plays an important role. Psychological features (personality, Type A behaviour, alexithymia, anxiety, depression) and socioenvironmental factors (stress, life events, coping, social support) are analyzed. Newer aspects like the probable stress influence on immunity and infection by Helicobacter pylori are considered.