부산대학교 도서관

We studied psychosocial factors affecting the healing time of gastric ulcers. We compared following factors between 33 patients with gastric ulcers cured by Famotidine 40 mg per day in 3 months (Group 1) and 20 patients with intractable ulcers over 6 months (Group 2). Cornell Medical Index, Self Rating Questionnaire for Depression and MMPI Alexithymia Scale were carried out, but in each score there was no significant difference between Group 1 and Group 2. Background factors mainly focused on the style of living were compared. The results indicated that 1) patients with intractable gastric ulcers drank more cups of coffee (p<0.05), 2) had more irregular working time (p<0.05), 3) felt more mental stress (p<0.05), 4) experienced more recurrence of gastric ulcers (p<0.05), 5) and eventually ulcers became difficult to treat despite young age (p<0.01), 6) had less past history of other diseases (p<0.01). This study showed that life style and biological factors played more important roles in the prolongation of healing time of gastric ulcer than psychological traits.