[Psycho-socio-pathological aspects of ulcerative colitis]

ABSTRACT

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic, severe and disabling disease whose etiology remains unclear. Studies are controversial regarding the role of psychopathological factors in its onset and evolution. psychiatrists have studied this disease for a long time. First, through the psychosomatic and psychoanalytic approaches, and then, with the development of neuro-physiology and the concept of stress. Thus, authors have described a number of characteristics in those patients, including the alexithymic dimension of personality; others have emphasized the role of stress and psycho-neuro-endocrine regulation mechanisms. Ulcerative colitis has also been linked with a higher incidence of psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and depression. But only the findings on the psychosocial impact of this disease are universally accepted. The development of psychosocial interventions aiming at ameliorating the quality of life of patients has also improved the prognosis of this disease