title: Long-term effects of hypnotherapy in patients with refractory irritable bowel syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Gut-directed hypnotherapy is considered to be an effective treatment in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) but few studies report the long-term effects. This retrospective study aims to evaluate the long-term perceived efficacy of gut-directed hypnotherapy given outside highly specialized hypnotherapy centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  208 patients, who all had received gut-directed hypnotherapy, were retrospectively evaluated. The Subjective Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) was used to measure changes in IBS symptoms, and patients were classified as responders and non-responders. Patients were also asked to report changes in health-care seeking, use of drugs for IBS symptoms, use of alternative non-pharmacological treatments, and if they still actively used hypnotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immediately after hypnotherapy, 103 of 208 patients (49%) were responders and 75 of these (73%) had improved further at the follow-up 2-7 years after hypnotherapy (mean 4 years). A majority of the responders still used hypnotherapy on a regular basis at follow-up (73%), and the responders reported a greater reduction in health-care seeking than non-responders. A total of 87% of all patients reported that they considered gut-directed hypnotherapy to be worthwhile, and this differed between responders and non-responders (100% vs. 74%; p < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This long-term follow-up study indicates that gut-directed hypnotherapy in refractory IBS is an effective treatment option with long-lasting effects, also when given outside highly specialized hypnotherapy centers. Apart from the clinical benefits, the reduction in health-care utilization has the potential to reduce the health-care costs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. perjohan.lindfors@aleris.se
authors.forename: Perjohan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lindfors
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Unge
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nyhlin
authors.forename: Brjánn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ljótsson
authors.forename: Einar S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Björnsson
authors.forename: Hasse
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abrahamsson
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simrén
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006990:Hypnosis; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome