Over the last few years there has been a change in lifestyle and eating habits. Therefore the psychological aspects (including stress) act as risk factors for the onset of gastrointestinal diseasesmore frequently than in the past, especially for not organic functional disorders, that affect 40%of the Western population (Ministry of Health, 2011) and damage the Quality of Life and patientsand health systems resources.Within the bio-psycho-social perspective of health promotion, gastrointestinal diseases areconsidered as "located" in an interpersonal context, that can be used as a source of support (or not)in the process of coping with the problem, by sharing it.Participants (104) affected by organic and functional gastrointestinal disorders, who requested anendoscopic examination, completed a battery of tests on social support, dyadic coping and closenessto others. Patients appear well supported although with a negative dyadic coping. Particularly,subjects with functional disorders, have a lower perception of the extra-familiar support and theylook more for a task-focused one. Although buffering effect of social support attenuates the impactof stress on health (Cohen and Wills, 1985), we need to better understand how to intervene in acommunity sense, to use it by positive dyadic coping and in order to make it effective in preventingthe gastrointestinal disorder and its chronicity.
Social support in patients with gastrointestinal diseases
Carfora V;
2013-01-01
Abstract
Over the last few years there has been a change in lifestyle and eating habits. Therefore the psychological aspects (including stress) act as risk factors for the onset of gastrointestinal diseasesmore frequently than in the past, especially for not organic functional disorders, that affect 40%of the Western population (Ministry of Health, 2011) and damage the Quality of Life and patientsand health systems resources.Within the bio-psycho-social perspective of health promotion, gastrointestinal diseases areconsidered as "located" in an interpersonal context, that can be used as a source of support (or not)in the process of coping with the problem, by sharing it.Participants (104) affected by organic and functional gastrointestinal disorders, who requested anendoscopic examination, completed a battery of tests on social support, dyadic coping and closenessto others. Patients appear well supported although with a negative dyadic coping. Particularly,subjects with functional disorders, have a lower perception of the extra-familiar support and theylook more for a task-focused one. Although buffering effect of social support attenuates the impactof stress on health (Cohen and Wills, 1985), we need to better understand how to intervene in acommunity sense, to use it by positive dyadic coping and in order to make it effective in preventingthe gastrointestinal disorder and its chronicity.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
