Gastritis and mental disorders

Although previous studies have suggested an association between various gastrointestinal disorders and mood and anxiety disorders, no previous study has examined the relationship between a diagnosis of gastritis and mood and anxiety disorders in the community. This work aimed to investigate the association between physician-diagnosed gastritis and DSM-IV mood and anxiety disorders among adults in the general population, and to examine sex differences in these relationships. Data were drawn from a population-based, representative sample of 4181 adults aged 18-79 in the German National Health Interview and Examination Survey. Anxiety disorders (27.0% vs. 15.3%) and affective disorders (20.1% vs. 11.5%) were significantly more common among adults with compared to without a diagnosis of gastritis. Lifetime and current physician diagnosed gastritis were associated with an increased prevalence of panic attacks, social phobia, any mood disorder and major depression, compared to those without gastritis. There were no significant sex differences in these associations. A diagnosis of gastritis appears to be associated with significantly increased odds of mood and anxiety disorders among adults in the general population. Contrary to findings from animal studies, we found the relationship between gastritis and mood/anxiety consistent among both sexes.