Cognitive therapy for irritable bowel syndrome.
Twenty patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were randomly assigned either to intensive, individualized cognitive therapy (10 sessions over 8 weeks) or to 8 weeks of daily gastrointestinal (GI) symptom monitoring. Pre- to posttreatment evaluations showed significantly (p = .005) greater GI symptom reduction for those receiving cognitive therapy than for those in symptom monitoring. At posttreatment, 80% of the cognitive therapy group showed clinically significant improvement, whereas only 10% of the monitoring group showed this. Results held up well at a 3-month follow-up. Within the cognitive therapy group, GI symptom reductions correlated significantly with increases in positive and reductions in negative automatic thoughts.
Greene
B
B
Center for Stress and Anxiety Disorders, State University of New York, Albany 12203.
Blanchard
E B
EB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001288:Attention; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral 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; D016896:Treatment Outcome