Psychological and Personality Correlates of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Comprehensive Case-Control Study

Abstract This article is derived from the author's master's thesis titled "Comparison of perceived stress, personality traits and resilience in patients with gastrointestinal problems and normal counterparts " .This study examines the psychological profile of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients through a multidimensional assessment of stress perception, personality traits and resilience capacity. Using a matched case-control design. we evaluated 100 participants (50 IBS patients, 50 healthy controls) using standardized measures including the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14), NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-25). Data were analyzed using ANOVA and MANOVA. key findings demonstrate that IBS patients exhibit significantly elevated stress levels (p < 0.001), higher neuroticism (p < 0.001), Lower scores in extraversion (p = 0.01), openness to experience (p = 0.002), agreeableness (p = 0.003), and conscientiousness (p = 0.001) compared to control group and Markedly reduced resilience across all subscales (p < 0.05). The results highlight substantial psychological challenges in IBS patients, underscoring the need for integrated psychological interventions alongside medical treatment.