IBD-Specific Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Sustainability of Effect After Three Years

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Psychiatry
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is effective for improving Quality of Life (QoL) and reducing anxiety and depression in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients.
• The sustainability of these positive effects long-term was previously unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the long-term sustainability of treatment effects of IBD-specific CBT up to three years after therapy completion.
• To evaluate changes in QoL, anxiety, depression, and psychiatric disorders in IBD patients post-CBT.

Main Methods:

• A long-term follow-up assessment was conducted on 118 participants from a previous randomized-control-study on IBD-specific CBT.
• Data on generic and IBD-specific QoL, anxiety, depression, and DSM-IV disorders were collected and analyzed using multilevel-regression-analyses.

Main Results:

• At three-year follow-up, the prevalence of psychiatric disorders significantly decreased by 48% (from 87% to 38%).
• Significant improvements were observed in IBDQ-Total (d=0.89), SF-36 Physical (d=0.54), SF-36 Mental (d=0.69), HADS-A (d=-0.77), HADS-D (d=-0.65), and CES-D (d=-0.55).
• QoL outcomes showed further improvement between treatment completion and the three-year follow-up, particularly for IBDQ-Total (d=0.31) and SF-36 Physical (d=0.32).

Conclusions:

• IBD-specific CBT demonstrates sustainable positive effects for IBD patients with poor mental QoL.
• The prevalence of mental health conditions substantially decreased and remained low at the three-year follow-up.