Psychosomatic Aspects of Gastrointestinal Disease

Abstract

A major problem in clinical gastroenterology is lack of knowledge as to what constitutes a data base that is adequate to exclude a diagnosis of organic disease and justify one of “functional” disease. This area deserves some consideration, particularly now as we embark on the development of standards of care. What diagnostic evaluation is to be considered excessive and unnecessary, and under what circumstances?

Clinical and chemical parameters for quantitating psychologic aspects of human behavior are becoming more standardized, and we may be in for some surprises as we delve deeper into the nature of psychic and somatic interactions, especially with regard to cause and effect.—AR