Abstract

The study’s primary objective was to assess the relationship between frequent ER visits for stomach discomfort and depression symptoms. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses statements were followed in the conduct of this study. Studies should assess the available data about the suitability of screening adult patients with recurrent stomach pain in the emergency department (ED) for anxiety or depression to be evaluated for inclusion in the systematic review. A thorough search of the PubMed and Cochrane databases was done. Focuses search results on articles released between the years 2015 and 2024. In this review, five original papers were incorporated. The included research was carried out in EDs. Depression was present in between 10% and 47.3% of people. When considering the possibility that screening alone might not be sufficient for an ED-based intervention, it is crucial to keep in mind that lack of evidence does not imply absence and to remain open to the possibility that screening in this population might eventually show demonstrable advantages. Physicians might decide to use active screening to improve their ability to identify patients with recurrent abdominal pain, who were likely to have a high risk of depression and anxiety while acknowledging the limits of testing and the uncertainty of their influence on future findings.

Key words: Abdominal pain, psychiatric symptoms, emergency department, etiology, systemic review