Online therapy may improve IBS
Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy may reduce the symptoms in certain patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a new study suggests.
IBS is a functional bowel disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, diarrhea and constipation in the absence of any detectable organic cause.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes on the important role of thinking in the patients' feeling and act. The face-to-face version of the method has showed positive results in helping some IBS patients.
Swedish researchers tested the effectiveness of the new Web-based program on a group of IBS patients and reported the technique to be effective in causing an "adequate relief" in IBS pain and discomfort.
After 6 months, 65 percent of those receiving CBT techniques still thought their symptoms were under control; as for the stress management group, however, the rate was as low as 44 percent, researchers wrote in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
"Patients can be guided by an online psychologist in their work and do not need to schedule weekly visits at a psychologist’s office," said lead author Brjann Ljotsson of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.
Researchers used a modified version of CBT called "graded exposure" in which the therapist helps patients gradually expose themselves to the things they feared would cause the symptoms.
In this technique, the researchers also teach the patients certain "mindfulness" methods to help them deal with their emotional reactions to their symptoms.
"By exposing themselves to IBS symptoms," Ljotsson said, "the patients become less afraid of them, and the vicious cycle between fear and symptoms is broken."
The online approach may be a useful option for people who have difficulty reaching a therapist or arranging a face-to-face counseling session.
Source: presstv.ir
