The relationship between emotional intelligence and somatization in patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID)

Abstract

Background: Today investing about the role of contributing emotional factors in etiology and treatment of functional gastrointestinal disorders was an interesting subject for many researches. The purpose of the present study was to assess the relationship between emotional intelligence and somatization in patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders. Materials and Methods: This study was descriptive and correlation. In this study 240 patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders (42 male and 198 female) were selected by the convenience sampling and participated in the study by filling baron emotional intelligence scale (1970) and Modified somatic Perception Questionnaire (MSPQ). Data was analyzed and used Pearson correlation and multiple regressions. Results: The results show that emotional intelligence had significant relationship in patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders. There was an association between increasing in scores of emotional intelligence and decreasing in scores of somatization. Also, adaptability and stress management among dimensions of emotional intelligence had significant and contrary relationship with somatization. The results of regression analysis show that emotional intelligence predicts 10 percentages of somatization scores in these patients. Conclusion: The results of the study highlight the protective role of emotional intelligence in physical and psychological health and provide useful information for medical and psychological treatment of patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders.