Cure8 research brief
The review shows psychotherapies can improve quality of life and reduce anxiety and depression in people with IBD, outcomes that matter for daily functioning even when intestinal symptoms may not change.
Adults with IBD interested in nonpharmacologic support for mood and quality of life, caregivers, gastroenterologists, IBD nurses, and mental-health clinicians working with IBD patients.
The review included 29 randomized trials with about 2,426 participants and evaluated patient-reported outcomes (IBD Questionnaire domains) plus psychological symptoms. Benefits were clearest for emotional and systemic quality-of-life domains; there was no consistent improvement in bowel symptoms and high heterogeneity for that outcome.
Anxiety and depressive symptoms showed small-to-moderate improvements. How this might affect care: Psychotherapy may be offered alongside usual IBD care to target mood and quality of life, but it should not be expected to reliably change bowel inflammation or disease activity based on the available trials.
Decisions about adding therapy should consider individual needs, access, and available therapy types. Evidence note: This brief is based on the article abstract and summary provided by the World Journal of Psychiatry (systematic review and meta-analysis); it summarizes what the authors report and does not reinterpret trial-level data.
Benefits were mainly on subjective quality-of-life and psychological measures; the review found no consistent effect on bowel symptoms and heterogeneity was high for some outcomes. This is a synthesis of trials reported in the article abstract rather than reanalysis of primary data.
Review the original publication for the complete reporting, methods, and context.
This Cure8 brief is based on source text from the linked article. Cure8 is informational only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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