title: Randomised clinical trial: symptoms of the irritable bowel syndrome are improved by a psycho-education group intervention.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Evidence supports the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural approaches in improving the symptoms of the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Duration, cost and resistance of many patients towards a psychological therapy have limited their acceptance.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness of a psycho-educational intervention on IBS symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-nine IBS patients (72% female) were randomised to an intervention or a wait-list control group. The IBS class consisted of education on a biological mind body disease model emphasising self-efficacy and practical relaxation techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients in the intervention showed significant improvement on GI symptom severity, visceral sensitivity, depression and QoL postintervention and most of these gains were maintained at 3-month follow-up (Hedge's g = -0.46-0.77). Moderated mediation analyses indicated change in anxiety, visceral sensitivity, QoL and catastrophising due to the intervention had moderate mediation effects (Hedge's g = -0.38 to -0.60) on improvements in GI symptom severity for patients entering the trial with low to average QoL. Also, change in GI symptom severity due to the intervention had moderate mediation effects on improvements in QoL especially in patients with low to average levels of QoL at baseline. Moderated mediation analyses indicated mediation was less effective for patients entering the intervention with high QoL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A brief psycho-educational group intervention is efficacious in changing cognitions and fears about the symptoms of the irritable bowel syndrome, and these changes are associated with clinically meaningful improvement in symptoms and quality of life. The intervention seems particularly tailored to patients with low to moderate quality of life baseline levels.
authors.affiliation: Gail and Gerald Oppenheimer Family Center for Neurobiology of Stress, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Labus
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Posserud
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Raeen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bolus
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simren
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Naliboff
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Mayer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014850:Waiting Lists