Use of a cognitive behavioral therapy-based mobile application for non-patients with irritable bowel syndrome: preliminary evidence of effectiveness

Abstract

Abstract Non-patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) experience severe pain associated with IBS symptoms but may have never consulted a doctor for the same. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for relieving bowel pain and improving quality of life. However, it is usually employed only for severe cases in clinical trials. Thus, we aimed to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a CBT-based application as a potential solution to the lack of accessible treatments for non-patients with IBS. The participants comprised non-patients with IBS, recruited online and randomly assigned to either the treatment (n = 5) or waitlist control (n = 6) condition. The application, used for two months with the therapist’s guidance, comprised three modules: psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, and exposure. The following outcome measures were assessed at six time points: Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS), Irritable Bowel Syndrome-Quality of Life Questionnaire (IBS-QOL-J), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS-J), Cognitive Scale for Functional Bowel Disorders (CS-FBD), Visceral Sensitivity Index (VSI), and Irritable Bowel Syndrome Behavioral Responses Questionnaire (IBS-BRQ). The waitlist control group used the application after the treatment group had completed the assessment. Group differences were evaluated using mixed-factors analysis of variance. The interaction of intervention condition × time was significant for the CS-FBD, VSI, and IBS-BRQ. However, no statistically significant between-group differences were observed for the GSRS, IBS-QOL-J, and PCS-J scores at different time points. While the application improved symptom-specific cognition and behavior and gastrointestinal-specific anxiety, it was not effective in improving IBS symptoms and quality of life.