Role of anxiety and personality in non-ulcer dyspepsia: a comparative study with duodenal ulcer.

BACKGROUND

Though emotional factors are known to influence gut functions, studies evaluating the role of anxiety and personality in non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) are few and have not yielded consistent results.

AIMS: To find out whether anxiety and abnormal personality pattern are specifically associated with NUD.

METHODS

33 patients with NUD and 30 patients with duodenal ulcer, who were randomly selected from among those attending a gastroenterology out-patient clinic, were administered a) the Eyesenck Personality Inventory, to measure neuroticism and extroversion; and b) a short self-rating scale for anxiety, to measure state and trait anxiety.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences between the two groups in state anxiety, neuroticism and extroversion. Trait anxiety, however, was significantly higher in the NUD group (p = 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Though the difference in trait anxiety score between the two groups attained significance, this finding needs further support to indicate a causal role for anxiety in NUD. There is need for further studies about the role of anxiety in various subgroups of NUD.