Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), sometimes called disorders of gut–brain interaction, do not affect only older people, they are also common in young adults. A study among 400 first-year medical students in Vietnam investigated how these gut disorders relate to mental health.
About 10% of students had an FGID such as functional dyspepsia or irritable bowel syndrome, and 3% had overlapping conditions including acid reflux. Depression and anxiety were also frequent, with around 10% showing signs of major depressive disorder and 7% showing generalized anxiety disorder. Helicobacter pylori infection was detected in 45% of participants.
The key finding was that depression was strongly associated with gut disorders. Students with major depressive disorder were much more likely to have FGIDs and overlapping gastrointestinal problems than students without depression.
Interestingly, in this study, this risk was also greater in women.
These results support the strong link between mental health and digestive symptoms in young adults, highlighting the importance of screening and early support for both areas in student populations.
Learn more about this study here: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289123
Reference
Tran, T. T. T., Luu, M. N., Tran, L. L., Nguyen, D., Quach, D. T., & Hiyama, T. (2023). Association of mental health conditions and functional gastrointestinal disorders among Vietnamese new-entry medical students. PloS one, 18(7), e0289123.