Key result
Negative affect links to greater functional GI disorder severity, partially mediated by rumination.
Why the study?
The study aimed to investigate the influence of negative affect on gastrointestinal symptoms in FGID patients, including the mediating role of rumination and regulatory effects of expression suppression.
Does negative affect influence gastrointestinal symptoms in FGID patients, and what are the mediating and moderating roles of rumination and expression suppression?
Cross-Sectional (n=1,000)
No
Does negative affect influence gastrointestinal symptoms in FGID patients, and what are the mediating and moderating roles of rumination and expression suppression?
Effect estimate: β 0.299 (95% CI 0.239-0.358)
p-value: p=<0.001
Negative affect exacerbates functional gastrointestinal disorder symptoms through the mediating role of rumination, which is further amplified by the emotion regulation strategy of expression suppression.
Supports psychosocial screening in FGID but should not change practice; leaves open whether targeting rumination improves outcomes.
BACKGROUND: Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (FGIDs) constitute a group of psychosomatic diseases characterized primarily by disruptions in the functioning of the digestive system, profoundly impacting the lives of affected individuals. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the influence of negative affect (NA) on the gastrointestinal symptoms of FGID patients, as well as the mediating role of rumination and the regulatory effects of expression suppression (ES) as an emotional regulation strategy. METHODS: A survey was conducted on 1000 patients (403M, 597F) with gastrointestinal disorders at a tertiary hospital using the negative affect subscale from the DS-14 (Type D Personality Scale), the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS), the Rumination Response Scale (RRS), and the expression suppression subscale from the Gross-John Emotion Regulation Strategy. RESULTS: Negative affect positively predicts FGIDs, with rumination mediating the relationship between NA and FGIDs. The emotional regulation strategy of expression suppression moderates the positive relationship between NA and rumination and the mediating effect of rumination. CONCLUSION: NA exacerbates symptoms of FGIDs in individuals, and rumination further amplifies this effect, with the mediating influence evident across both high and low ES emotion regulation strategy groups.
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Ma et al. (2025) conducted a cross-sectional in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (n=1,000). Negative affect was evaluated on Gastrointestinal symptoms severity (GSRS score) (β 0.299, 95% CI 0.239-0.358, p=<0.001). Negative affect significantly predicted the severity of functional gastrointestinal disorders (β 0.299), a relationship that was partially mediated by rumination and moderated by expression suppression.
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