Perceptual style and behavioral pattern of individuals with functional gastrointestinal disorders.

Abstract

The present research examined the perceptual style and coping pattern characterizing individuals with functional gastrointestinal disorders. A matched case-control design was adopted to compare differences among the target group of individuals with functional gastrointestinal disorders (n = 40), a pain control group of individuals with rheumatism (n = 40), and the community control group of healthy individuals (n = 40). Perceptual style was measured by both monitoring and blunting responses to hypothetical stressful situations, and coping pattern was measured by the use of coping strategies in real-life stressful events. Results revealed that participants with functional gastrointestinal disorders differed from their healthy and rheumatic counterparts in having higher monitoring and lower blunting scores and using action-oriented coping strategies regardless of the controllability of stressful situations.

Discriminative Facility and Its Role in the Perceived Quality of Interactional Experiences

“…The discriminative facility score ranges from 0 to 64, with a higher score indicates a greater extent of discriminative facility. The EMBSS (eight situations) has good internal consistency in a previous study (Cheng et al, 2000) and in the present study (α = .81 for the monitoring subscale and α = .78 for the blunting subscale). This scale also displays good criterion validity (Cheng, in press).…”

Moving beyond perceptions: internalized stigma in the irritable bowel syndrome

“…64 Alternatively, IBS patients who are more distressed may seek any treatment possible to alleviate their condition, 18 engaging in potentially risky illness behaviors in an attempt to solve a seemingly unsolvable problem. 65 Finally, patients who recently saw a therapist reported significantly less perceived stigma from both personal relationships and from healthcare providers. There is wide and growing support for the use of behavioral therapies in the treatment of IBS.…”

“…Feelings of alienation, social withdrawal, and discrimination (especially from healthcare providers), may draw a person to a more holistic approach regardless of documented efficacy . Alternatively, IBS patients who are more distressed may seek any treatment possible to alleviate their condition, engaging in potentially risky illness behaviors in an attempt to solve a seemingly unsolvable problem . Finally, patients who recently saw a therapist reported significantly less perceived stigma from both personal relationships and from healthcare providers.…”

Towards A Better Understanding of Anxiety in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Preliminary Look at Worry and Intolerance of Uncertainty

“…Although anxiety is believed to precede IBS symptoms most of the time (Sykes et al, 2003), it is also likely that anxiety may also be directed at physical symptoms once they occur. IBS patients and chronic worriers tend to devote higher levels of attentional resources toward monitoring threatening information (Butler & Matthews, 1983;Cheng, Hui, & Lam, 2000;Russel & Davey, 1993), and tend to perceive themselves as more vulnerable to disease (Crane & Martin, 2002). An interesting study looking at the relation between perceptual style and behaviors among IBS patients, patients with rheumatism, and healthy controls revealed that the patients with functional GI disorders had a tendency to appraise stressors as uncontrollable despite their objective controllability (Cheng et al, 2000).…”