Effects of a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Intervention Trial to Improve Disease Outcomes in Children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
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Rona L Levy1, Miranda A L van Tilburg, Shelby L Langer
1*School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; †Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; ‡Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; §Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; ‖Department of Oral Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; ¶School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin; **Department of Gastroenterology, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington; ††Prime Health Clinic, Federal Way, Washington; ‡‡St. Charles Health System, Bend, Oregon; §§HealthPoint, Bothell, Washington; and ‖‖Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
Insights
A cognitive behavioral intervention significantly reduced school absences and improved quality of life for children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This approach also enhanced coping skills in children and reduced parental distress, potentially decreasing disease activity in some cases.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Psychology
- Gastroenterology
- Behavioral Medicine
Background:
- Limited research exists on behavioral interventions for psychosocial issues in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
- This study reports 6-month follow-up outcomes from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating a cognitive behavioral intervention (CBI) for children with IBD and their parents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the efficacy of a brief CBI for children with IBD and their parents.
- To assess the impact of the intervention on psychosocial sequelae, child functioning, and disease activity.
Main Methods:
- A large RCT involved 185 children (aged 8-17) diagnosed with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis and their parents.
- Participants were randomized into a 3-session social learning and CBI group or an education support control group.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements were observed in reduced school absences (P < 0.05) and enhanced child-reported quality of life (P < 0.05) at 6 months.
- Parents reported increased adaptive child coping (P < 0.001) and reduced maladaptive responses (P < 0.05).
- Exploratory analysis suggested fewer disease flares in children with higher baseline flare rates who received the CBI.
Conclusions:
- A brief CBI for pediatric IBD patients and their parents improves child functioning and quality of life.
- The intervention may also decrease disease activity in some children.
- Findings support the use of CBI as an adjunct therapy for managing IBD in children.
Background:
Studies testing the efficacy of behavioral interventions to modify psychosocial sequelae of inflammatory bowel disease in children are limited. This report presents outcomes through a 6-month follow-up from a large randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of a cognitive behavioral intervention for children with inflammatory bowel disease and their parents.
Methods:
One hundred eighty-five children aged 8 to 17 years with a diagnosis of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis and their parents were randomized to one of two 3-session conditions: (1) a social learning and cognitive behavioral therapy condition or (2) an education support condition designed to control for time and attention.
Results:
There was a significant overall treatment effect for school absences due to Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis (P < 0.05) at 6 months after treatment. There was also a significant overall effect after treatment for child-reported quality of life (P < 0.05), parent-reported increases in adaptive child coping (P < 0.001), and reductions in parents' maladaptive responses to children's symptoms (P < 0.05). Finally, exploratory analyses indicated that for children with a higher level of flares (2 or more) prebaseline, those in social learning and cognitive behavioral therapy condition experienced a greater reduction in flares after treatment.
Conclusions:
This trial suggests that a brief cognitive behavioral intervention for children with inflammatory bowel disease and their parents can result in improved child functioning and quality of life, and for some children may decrease disease activity.
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