Cognitive emotion regulation strategies in patients with functional dyspepsia and healthy controls - A comparative study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) may use specific coping strategies. Hence, the aim of the present study was to compare cognitive emotion regulation strategies in FD patients and healthy controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a descriptive observational study. The sample consisted of 86 individuals, 43 of whom were patients diagnosed with FD. The patients referred to the psychosomatic disorders clinic, Isfahan, Iran. The comparative sample included 43 healthy controls (without digestive diagnoses) matched with the patients by age and gender. Subjects completed data on demographic factors and cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire. RESULTS: The results indicated that there are significant differences between patients with FD and healthy controls according to using cognitive strategies. Scores of healthy controls in positive reappraisal and acceptance were significantly more than FD patients, and inversely, scores of FD patients in rumination and other-blame were meaningfully more than healthy controls. CONCLUSION: FD patients apply less adaptive strategies and more maladaptive strategies. It is seemed psychological interventions that focus on reducing maladaptive strategies and increasing adaptive strategies could be effective for FD patients.