Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
910504 Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry 2010 6 Pages PDF
Abstract
We conducted a study of a group therapy based on exposure and mindfulness in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Out of 49 outpatients, most of whom were referred from gastroenterological clinics, 34 entered into the 10-week treatment. Patients were assessed before, immediately after and 6 months after treatment. The assessments consisted of a gastrointestinal symptom diary, self-report questionnaires covering quality of life, gastrointestinal specific anxiety, general functioning, and a psychiatric interview. At post-treatment, the mean reduction in symptoms was 41% and 50% of patients showed clinically significant improvement in symptom level. Patients also showed marked improvement on other outcome measures. Treatment gains were maintained at follow-up. The results support the use of exposure and mindfulness based strategies in the treatment of IBS, but further randomised studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of the treatment.
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