Hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome: an audit of one thousand adult patients. Issue 9 (4th March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Miller, V.; Carruthers, H. R.; Morris, J.; Hasan, S. S.; Archbold, S.; Whorwell, P. J.
• Is Part Of: Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics. Volume 41:Issue 9(2015)
• Page Start: 844
• Page End: 855
• Publication Date: 2015-03-04
• Subjects: Digestive organs -- Diseases -- Treatment -- Periodicals; Digestive organs -- Effect of drugs on -- Periodicals; Gastrointestinal system -- Diseases -- Treatment -- Periodicals; Gastrointestinal system -- Effect of drugs on -- Periodicals; 615.73
• DOI: 10.1111/apt.13145
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-2813

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="apt13145-abs-0001"> <title>Summary</title> <sec id="apt13145-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>Gut‐focused hypnotherapy improves the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with benefits being sustained for many years. Despite this, the technique has not been widely adopted by healthcare systems, possibly due to relatively small numbers in published studies and uncertainty about how it should be provided.</p> </sec> <sec id="apt13145-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Aim</title> <p>To review the effect of hypnotherapy in a large cohort of refractory IBS patients.</p> </sec> <sec id="apt13145-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>One thousand IBS patients fulfilling Rome II criteria, mean age 51.6 years (range 17–91 years), 80% female, receiving 12 sessions of hypnotherapy over 3 months, were studied. The primary outcome was a 50 point reduction in the IBS Symptom Severity Score. The fall in scores for Noncolonic Symptoms, Quality of Life and Anxiety or Depression, were secondary outcomes. The Federal Drug Administration's recommended outcome of a 30% or more reduction in abdominal pain was also recorded.</p> </sec> <sec id="apt13145-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Overall, 76% met the primary outcome which was higher in females (females: 80%, males: 62%, <italic>P</italic> < 0.001) and those with anxiety (anxious: 79%, non‐anxious: 71%, <italic>P</italic> = 0.010). The mean reduction in other scores was: IBS Symptom Severity Score, 129 points (<italic>P</italic> < 0.001), Noncolonic Symptom Score, 65 (<italic>P</italic> < 0.001) and Quality of Life Score, 66 (<italic>P</italic> < 0.001). Sixty‐seven per cent reported a 30% or more reduction in abdominal pain scores. Pain days fell from 18 to 9 per month. Patients with anxiety and depression fell from 63% to 34% and 25% to 12% respectively (<italic>P</italic> < 0.001). Outcome was unaffected by bowel habit subtype.</p> </sec> <sec id="apt13145-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>These results provide further evidence that gut‐focused hypnotherapy is an effective intervention for refractory IBS.</p> </sec> </abstract>