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Psychosocial Factors and Perceived Severity of Functional Dyspeptic Symptoms: A Psychosocial Interactionist Model

From the Division of Social Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (C.C.), and the University Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong (W.H., S.L.), Hong Kong.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Cecilia Cheng, PhD, Division of Social Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong. E-mail: c.cheng{at}ust.hk

OBJECTIVE: A psychosocial interactionist model was presented to provide a systematic account of individual differences in perceived functional dyspeptic symptom severity.

METHODS: In a population-based survey, 4038 Hong Kong subjects (age 18–80 years) were interviewed. Five hundred ninety interviewees (14.6%) met the diagnostic criteria for functional dyspepsia (FD), and 396 of them participated in this study.

RESULTS: Results from multiple regression analyses revealed significant main effects of monitoring, emotional support, and coping flexibility on perceived FD symptom severity. A significant emotional support by coping flexibility interaction effect was also found.

CONCLUSIONS: The present findings provided support for the psychosocial interactionist model in showing that (1) monitoring is a risk factor related to greater perceived symptom severity, (2) emotional support and coping flexibility are resource factors related to lower perceived symptom severity, and (3) the beneficial role of emotional support is present only among those higher in coping flexibility but not among those lower in coping flexibility.

Key Words: psychosocial factors, • perceptual style, • coping, • social support, • functional dyspepsia, • functional gastrointestinal disorders.

Abbreviations: ANOVA = analysis of variance;; CFQ = Cognitive Flexibility Questionnaire;; EMBSS = Extended Miller Behavioral Style Scale;; EPQ = Eysenck Personality Questionnaire;; FD = functional dyspepsia;; ISSB = Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors;; MCSD = Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability scale.

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