Effect of short-term cognitive psychotherapy on recurrence of duodenal ulcer: a prospective randomized trial

The aim of this prospective, randomized trial was to assess whether short-term cognitive psychotherapy (10 sessions during 4 months) could reduce the 1-year recurrence rate of duodenal ulcer. One group received psychotherapy; one group was a control group. One hundred patients, aged 17 to 64 years, with duodenal ulcer were selected from March 1989 to May 1991. The main outcome measure was relapse of duodenal ulcer, which was verified by endoscopy. When psychotherapy started after cessation of antiulcer medication, the relapse-free time was significantly shorter in the therapy group than in the controls. When the protocol was modified so that psychotherapy and antiulcer medication were given concomitantly, there was no significant difference in recurrence rate between the groups at 1-year follow-up (84% in the therapy group and 92% in the control group). Symptoms of upper abdominal discomfort/pain, measured every second month, decreased significantly in the therapy group compared to the control group. Psychotherapy led to less neuroticism (Eysenck Personality Questionnaire) and less trait anxiety (Spielberger Trait Anxiety Scale) compared to controls at 4 months. At the 12-month follow-up, most of this gain was lost, but the psychotherapy group had lower scores on "concern about disapproval" on the Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale than the control group. There is no beneficial effect of short-term cognitive psychotherapy on the 1-year recurrence rate of duodenal ulcer.