The Relationship Between Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Panic Disorder: A Case Study

1998 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 237-243
Author(s):  
Tracey Wade ◽  
Megan Jones
Keyword(s):  
Irritable Bowel Syndrome ◽  
Panic Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Behaviour Therapy ◽  
General Anxiety ◽  
Cognitive Behaviour ◽  
Irritable Bowel ◽  
The Relationship

Evidence suggests that cognitive behaviour therapy is the treatment of choice for both irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and panic disorder (PD). The present study examines the treatment issues relating to a woman diagnosed with both IBS and PD (with agoraphobia), where therapy for PD was disrupted by IBS symptoms. Group therapy was then initiated for IBS, and this was associated with a large decrease in general anxiety and depression, and an increase in confidence concerning management of the pain caused by the IBS. This finding is discussed with respect to its possible implications for the treatment of people suffering both IBS and PD.

Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy as a Treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Pilot Study

2000 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 300-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Boyce ◽  
Jemma Gilchrist ◽  
Nicholas J. Talley ◽  
Donna Rose
Keyword(s):  
Irritable Bowel Syndrome ◽  
Symptom Severity ◽  
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy ◽  
Psychological Treatment ◽  
Treatment Compliance ◽  
Behaviour Therapy ◽  
Bowel Symptom ◽  
Bowel Symptoms ◽  
Cognitive Behaviour ◽  
Irritable Bowel

Objective: The irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic and often disabling functional bowel disorder. Psychological treatments, in particular cognitive and behavioural interventions, have been shown to be effective for this disorder. The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of a cognitive-behaviour program. Method: Eight participants (seven female, one male) aged between 24 and 71 years, with a diagnosis of IBS according to the Rome criteria, were recruited from among the gastroenterology outpatients at Nepean Hospital, in Sydney, Australia. Participants were administered pretreatment on measures of psychological function and bowel symptom severity. Following a 2-week baseline period, participants began a structured psychological treatment comprising eight sessions of cognitive-behaviour therapy. Throughout treatment, participants maintained daily records of symptom severity and completed homework assignments to ensure treatment compliance. The pretreatment assessment measures were repeated 1 week post-treatment. Results: After treatment, five of the eight patients no longer met the Rome diagnostic criteria for IBS. There was no significant reduction in bowel symptom frequency. There were, however, significant improvements in the distress and disability associated with bowel symptoms. Anxiety and depression were also significantly reduced. Conclusions: Cognitive-behaviour therapy reduced the distress and disability associated with IBS, but not the frequency of bowel symptoms. This supports the proposed cognitive model for IBS, and cognitive-behaviour therapy appears to have its effect by altering the cognitive response to visceral hypersensitivity.

COMBINED GROUP COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOUR THERAPY AND HYPNOTHERAPY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME: THE FEASIBILITY OF CLINICAL PROVISION

2004 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth E. Taylor ◽  
Nicholas W. Read ◽  
Helen M. Hills
Keyword(s):  
Irritable Bowel Syndrome ◽  
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy ◽  
Attrition Rate ◽  
Behaviour Therapy ◽  
Standardized Protocol ◽  
Training And Supervision ◽  
Conventional Medical Treatment ◽  
Cognitive Behaviour ◽  
Feasible Option ◽  
Irritable Bowel

Conventional medical treatment is often ineffective in the management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Although controlled trials of psychotherapy and hypnotherapy have been shown to be effective, psychological interventions are not widely available. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of the clinical provision of combined group cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) and hypnotherapy delivered by 13 therapists using a standardized protocol. Attempts were also made to disseminate the programme by patient graduates. A session-by-session instruction manual was compiled and the protocol was tested in a pilot group. Thereafter a total of 158 patients in 23 different groups took part in the 16-session intervention. Attrition rate was very low. Significant improvements in both gastrointestinal and psychosocial symptoms were observed following the intervention. The results suggest that professionally led group psychotherapy and hypnotherapy is a feasible option for the treatment of sufferers of IBS and increased efforts should be made in the training and supervision of user facilitators.

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