Fatigue management in patients with IBD: a randomised controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Psychology
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) often causes significant fatigue and reduced quality of life (QoL).
• Effective management strategies for IBD-related fatigue are crucial for patient well-being.
• Solution-focused therapy (SFT) is a potential intervention to address these debilitating symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of SFT in alleviating fatigue and enhancing QoL in IBD patients.
• To compare SFT with usual care in managing symptoms for individuals with quiescent IBD.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial was conducted in two Dutch hospitals.
• Patients with quiescent IBD and high fatigue scores (CIS-fatigue ≥ 35) were randomized to SFT or usual care for 3 months.
• Outcomes including fatigue, QoL, anxiety, depression, and disease activity were assessed over a 9-month follow-up period.

Main Results:

• After SFT, 39% of patients achieved reduced fatigue scores compared to 18% in the usual care group (p=0.03).
• The SFT group demonstrated significant reductions in fatigue (CIS-fatigue: p<0.001; CIS-total: p=0.001) and improvements in QoL (IBD questionnaire: p=0.020) at 3 months.
• No significant differences between groups were observed at the 9-month follow-up, indicating a temporary effect.

Conclusions:

• SFT offers a significant short-term benefit for fatigue and QoL in quiescent IBD patients.
• The positive effects of SFT on IBD patients' fatigue and QoL diminish over the 9-month follow-up period.
• Further research may explore sustained SFT interventions or combination therapies for long-term management.