Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy as a Treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Cognitive-behaviour therapy reduced the distress and disability associated with IBS, but not the frequency of bowel symptoms. This supports the proposed cognitive model for IBS, and cognitive-behaviour therapy appears to have its effect by altering the cognitive response to visceral hypersensitivity.

Psychological Aspects and Psychotherapy of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Children

“…In short, developing more simplified, powerful, accessible, and cost-effective self management therapies depends on specifying theoretical change mechanisms and testing whether they are responsible for therapeutic improvements 80 . Therapies such as CBT derive their therapeutic value by reducing comorbid psychological distress characteristic of more severe IBS patients 63 . Psychological treatments help patients manage the psychological distress which worsens bowel symptoms and quality of life 81 .…”

“…Patients become hypervigilant to GI sensations and develop cognitive distortions, interpreting the sensations as threatening. These threats increase anxiety, which in a vicious cycle directly affects the gut, causing further symptoms of IBS 63 . Both of the above hypotheses support a cognitive behavioral theory of IBS.…”

A preliminary investigation of the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy for panic disorder on gastrointestinal distress in patients with comorbid panic disorder and irritable bowel syndrome

“…Patients were referred to the clinic by a physician (usually their family doctor or psychiatrist). Upon receiving the referral, each patient was scheduled for an intake interview (including the SCID-IV) and completed consent documentation and a series of selfreport questionnaires, including the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), [25] Bowel Symptom Severity Scale (BSSS), [26] BSQ, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21-Item Version (DASS), [27] and Illness Intrusiveness Ratings Scale (IIRS). [28] Patients with a principal diagnosis of PD/A were assigned to the next available PD/A treatment group with an average waitlist period of 97.9 days (SD 5 55.2) due to the schedule of group offerings.…”

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for the management of irritable bowel syndrome

“…CBT, from its inception growing out of basic and applied research [37] , remains closely tied to ongoing research [38] , and is used to deal with IBS. It was designed to educate participants about physical, cognitive, and behavioral factors which contribute to IBS; thus teaching them methods of enhancing self-control over stress, anxiety, and IBS symptoms; to correct dysfunctional thoughts and to prevent symptom relapse [39] . This is helpful for refractory IBS, as it blocks the vicious circle between psychological factors and symptoms.…”