A recent study posted in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, a journal publishing clinical articles on all aspects of the digestive system, shows evidence that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for irritable bowl syndrome (IBS).
The study included 71 participants, with moderately severe IBS symptoms, who were randomly assigned to one of two conditions; they either received 10 weekly 1-hour sessions of CBT, or 4 1-hour sessions over 10 weeks.
Results showed that “rapid responders”, those who began to see improvements in their IBS symptoms within the first 4 weeks, had maintained the improvements at both immediate and 3-month check ups after treatment had ended. No difference was observed between the patients who received 4 sessions and those who received 10 sessions during the 10 weeks.
Lackner, J. M., Gudleski, G. D., Keefer, L., Powell, C., & Katz, L. A. (2010). Rapid response to cognitive behavior therapy predicts treatment outcome in patients with irritable bowel syndrome, Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 8, 426-432.