Changes in the quality of life and mental health in adolescents with irritable bowel syndrome

Aim. To study the quality of life and mental health in adolescents with irritable bowel syndrome. Material and methods. 12–19 years adolescents were examined. They were divided into two groups: 12 patients with and 170 cases without irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Grading was carried out in accordance with the Rome IV criteria for functional gastrointestinal disorders. The quality of life of the subjects was studied using the PedsQL questionnaire, and mental health — with the questionnaire «strengths and difficulties» (SDQ). The reliability of differences in quantitative features was analyzed using the Mann-Whitney criterion, qualitative features — with the χ2 criterion. Values ​​p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results. In accordance with the Rome IV criteria IBS was diagnosed in 6.6%. In IBS adolescents, the quality of life according to the emotional functioning scale was significantly reduced (p = 0.017). According to the R. Goodman questionnaire, individuals with functional bowel disorders also more often had problems communicating with peers (p = 0.010) and emotional symptoms (p = 0.003) compared to children without IBS, which characterize mental health disorders. At the same time, deviant mental health disorders were noted in every fourth IBS child, and every third of them had borderline mental disorders, which is higher in total than in individuals without IBS (p = 0.005). To a greater extent, mental health deviations affected the emotional sphere. Conclusion. In IBS adolescents, mental health disorders with a predominance of emotional disorders in its structure were more often recorded, and a decrease in the quality of life according to the emotional scale was noted.