Behaviorally treated irritable bowel syndrome patients: a four-year follow-up.
Nineteen of 27 patients suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) who had completed a multicomponent treatment involving progressive muscle relaxation, thermal biofeedback, cognitive therapy and IBS education were located and evaluated 4 yr posttreatment. Seventeen of 19 (89.5, or 63% of the total original sample) rated themselves as more than 50% improved. Six of the 12 patients (50%) who submitted symptom monitoring diaries met our criteria for clinical improvement, i.e. achieving at least a 50% reduction in primary IBS symptom scores. The means on all measures at long-term follow-up were lower than those obtained prior to treatment. When follow-up symptom means were compared with pretreatment means, significant (P less than 0.05) reductions were obtained on abdominal pain/tenderness, diarrhea, nausea, and flatulence.
Schwarz
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SP
Center for Stress and Anxiety Disorders, State University of New York, Albany 12203.
Taylor
A E
AE
Scharff
L
L
Blanchard
E B
EB
D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003109:Colonic Diseases, Functional / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012803:Sick Role