The relations between anxiety, depression, alexithymia, and attachment styles in the patients diagnosed with functional gastrointestinal disorder

The primary objective of this study was to analyze the correlation between the anxiety and the depression, the prevalence of alexithymia and the attachment styles in the patients diagnosed with Functional Gastrointestinal Disorder in order to underline finally the probable relations between these dimensions. The study was carried out with 106 patients with FGID, and 94 healthy control subjects who were similar with respect to their age, gender and educational background. In accordance with the aim of the study, Socio-demographic and Clinical Data Collection Form, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), and Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory, all developed by researchers for this dissertation, were applied to the participants. Compared to the healthy control group, FGID patients were detected with higher values in terms of avoidant attachment, Alexithymia, anxiety and depression levels. However, when FGID was analyzed as upper and lower FGID, a significant difference in terms of the variables was not found. Since a great number of factors, the etiology of which cannot be fully explained, are thought to play role in its emergence, FGID is deemed as a group of disease. Yet, the relationship between psychogenic factors and FGID are known. Clinically, when examining the FGID diagnosed patients, by considering the relation between their insecure attachment styles and treatment needs, paying attention to their attachment style, and accordingly creating patient-centered approaches can help the patients stay in tune with the treatment process. Because of the psychiatric comorbidity, FGID seems to require a treatment applied through some interdisciplinary collaboration. This collaboration can positively affect the disease course. When needed pharmacological psychiatric medication in addition to psychotherapeutic approaches can make an important contribution to the treatment of FGID diagnosed patients. Key Words: FGID, Alexithymia, Attachment