Chronic digestive diseases including irritable bowel syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease and inflammatory bowel diseases cannot be disentangled from their psychological context—the substantial burden of these diseases is co-determined by symptom and disease severity and the ability of patients to cope with their symptoms without significant interruption to daily life. The growing field of psychogastroenterology focuses on the application of scientifically-based psychological principles and techniques to the alleviation of digestive symptoms.