Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects nearly 20% of all adults at some time in their life. It has been stated that more than 35 million Americans have the condition, with women twice as likely than men to develop it in their lifetime. IBS is closely linked to stress and often conventional treatment has little success. A study was presented in Los Angeles this year at the Digestive Disease Week 2006 that reported improvement in sufferers of IBS after receiving cognitive therapy.
Cognitive therapy is a specific type of counseling that focuses on changing the thought patterns in those suffering from conditions such as IBS as well as depression, fatigue, and eating disorders. It is loosely based on the idea that our thoughts dictate our emotions and emotional expression. If we can change the patterns or thoughts in our minds, then we can change our emotions and how those emotions are expressed. Cognitive therapy can help create coping strategies for its participants.
The study was conducted in New York at the State University in Buffalo. Nearly 60 patients were enrolled in the study and randomized to one of three groups. The first group received 10 sessions of standard cognitive therapy, the second group received four sessions with a take home workbook to be completed alone, and the third group was placed on a waiting list. Follow-up that assessed symptoms and severity of the disease was carried out at 4 and 10 weeks.
At the end of the study 73 percent of those in the cognitive therapy groups ( 1 and 2) reported improvement in symptoms while those on the wait list had no improvement. Pain relief in the therapy groups was also significantly higher than the control, 73% compared to 12%. GI symptoms such as gas, bloating, constipation, and diarrhe improved more than 60% in each of the therapy groups.
Interestingly, the group with only 4 cognitive therapy sessions and the self-help workbook reported a greater improvement in quality of life and continued improvement beyond the study compared to the group which had the 10 sessions. Minimal contact was 2.5 times more effective than standard 10 session contact. It is also lower cost and less a time burden to the patient.
The authors attribute the positive changes to the newly directed though patterns and the self-help workbook that allows participants to work through issues on their own and develop individualized techniques for coping.
Posted by Dr. Christina Gutierrez on June 13, 2006 02:10 PM
