Type A behaviour and other psychological factors in peptic ulcer disease

Abstract

A variety of personality traits and psychological symptom states have been reported to be associated with peptic ulcer disease. In the present study, male patients with confirmed duodenal or gastric ulcer(s) are compared with patient and non-patient control groups in terms of Type A behaviour, the Eysenck personality dimensions, hostility, state and trait anxiety, and depression. By comparison with cardiac patients, the peptic ulcer groups obtained lower Type A scores but were similar on the other variables. By comparison with age and sex matched community controls, GU patients obtained higher trait anxiety and psychoticism scores while the DU group had higher state anxiety levels. The implications of these findings in terms of the role of psychological factors in the aetiology of peptic ulcer disease are discussed.