Hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome: patient expectations and perceptions

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Psychosomatic Medicine
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Background:

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is frequently treated with hypnotherapy (HT), with studies traditionally focusing on symptom severity.
• Emerging research highlights the importance of patient perception and expectations in treatment outcomes, which may diverge from healthcare provider assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate patient-reported perceptions and expectations of hypnotherapy (HT) in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
• To correlate patient expectations and perceptions with symptom response to HT in IBS patients.

Main Methods:

• 150 IBS patients underwent hypnotherapy (HT), completing validated questionnaires on symptom severity, quality of life, noncolonic symptoms, anxiety, and depression.
• Patient expectations and perceptions of HT were systematically recorded pre- and post-treatment, including qualitative free-text reflections.

Main Results:

• 81% of patients responded positively to HT, showing significant improvements in all measured parameters (p < 0.001).
• Higher initial expectations for improvement were noted in non-responders (63%) compared to responders (57%, p < 0.001).
• Despite initial skepticism, patients reported substantial additional benefits, with 70% of non-responders finding HT worthwhile.

Conclusions:

• Hypnotherapy (HT) offers significant symptom improvement and diverse additional benefits for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients, often overcoming initial negative perceptions.
• Patient expectations did not directly correlate with treatment outcomes, underscoring the complexity of the therapeutic experience.
• Assessing IBS treatment efficacy solely through symptom severity overlooks the broader patient experience, necessitating the inclusion of patient-reported outcomes in future research.