title: Fatigue management in patients with IBD: a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effectiveness of solution-focused therapy (SFT) on fatigue and quality of life (QoL) in patients with fatigued inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomised controlled trial in two Dutch hospitals. Patients with IBD with quiescent IBD and with a Checklist Individual Strength--Fatigue (CIS--fatigue) score of ≥ 35 were enrolled. Patients were 1:1 randomised to receive SFT or care as usual (CAU) for 3 months. Patients were followed for a further 6 months after the SFT. Primary endpoint was defined as changes in fatigue and QoL during follow-up. Secondary endpoints included change in anxiety and depression, medication use, side effects to medication, disease activity, laboratory parameters (C-reactive protein, leucocytes and haemoglobin) and sleep quality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-eight patients were included, of whom 63% were women, mean age was 40.1 years. After the SFT course, 17 (39%) patients in the SFT group had a CIS-fatigue score below 35 compared with eight (18%) of patients in the CAU group (p=0.03). The SFT group also showed a greater reduction in fatigue across the first 6 months compared with the CAU group (CIS-fatigue: p=<0.001 and CIS-total: p=0.001). SFT was associated with a significant higher mean IBD questionnaire change at 3 months (p=0.020). At 9 months, no significant differences between the two groups were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SFT has a significant beneficial effect on the severity of fatigue and QoL in patients with quiescent IBD. However, this effect diminished during follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC, , Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lauran
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vogelaar
authors.forename: Adriaan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van't Spijker
authors.forename: Reinier
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Timman
authors.forename: Antonie J P
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: van Tilburg
authors.forename: DirkJan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bac
authors.forename: Ton
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vogelaar
authors.forename: Ernst J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kuipers
authors.forename: Jan J V
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: van Busschbach
authors.forename: Christien J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: van der Woude
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012890:Sleep
chemical_list: D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D006454:Hemoglobins; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: Ibd Clinical; Inflammatory Bowel Disease