The Role of the Mental Health Professional in the Assessment and Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Abstract

AbstractIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a condition common in the health-care setting, can be especially challenging to manage for both the referring physician and the psychiatrist. Much of this difficulty arises from the understanding and treatment of the disorder from a disease-based biomedical approach rather than a biopsychosocial model. The latter model offers a more effective method to understand the development and clinical expression of IBS, and as a result, directly informs subsequent management. This article defines and describes the epidemiology of IBS, reviews its pathophysiology, identifies the role of psychosocial factors using a biopsychosocial model of IBS, and clarifies the role of the mental health professional in its management. IBS management involves identifying psychiatric comorbidities, assessing the patient's perspective of the role of psychosocial factors, offering psychotherapy directed toward adaptive coping mechanisms, providing psychotropic medication consultation, and engaging in ongoing collaboration with the referring physician.