Stress and psychopathology and its impact on quality of life in chronic anal fissure (CAF) patients

Background Chronic anal fissure (CAF) onset, exacerbation, and impact on quality of life are influenced by a host of psychological, physiological, and social factors. We aimed to investigate the difference in psychopathology and stress between normal and CAF groups. Methods Thirty CAF patients and 20 age-sex matched healthy controls were evaluated for Axis I psychopathology, depression, anxiety, and stress with Hamilton and Hospital Depression-Anxiety Scales, Perceived Stress Scale, and SF-36. Results With a mean age of 39.47, 83.3% of CAF patients were female. Anxiety-depression and stress scores were all significantly higher and functionality was lower in the CAF group compared to controls ( p