Psychosomatic Medicine 32:153-166 (1970)
© 1970 American Psychosomatic Society

A Psychosomatic Comparison of Patients with Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease

¹ Departments of Psychiatry and Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St. New Haven, Conn.

Address for reprint requests: Dr. F. McKegney, Psychiatry Department, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn 06519.

A two-phase study of 123 patients with either ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease indicates a similarly high incidence of emotional disturbance and life crises prior to the illness onset in both somatic diseases. There are no significant differences between patients with the two diseases in a large number of demographic, psychosocial, personality, behavioral, psychiatric, and physical disease characteristics. In both syndromes, more severe emotional disturbance is associated with more severe demonstrable physical disease. The findings support the theory that these two somatic processes represent ends of a spectrum of biological response to similar psychosocial and personality factors. This study also indicates the need for early identification and treatment of emotional disturbance in both groups of patients, for which the Cornell Medical Index is a useful screening device.

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