Stress Management for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Stress Management for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The primary goal of this study is to test the efficacy of emotional awareness and expression training (EAET), a novel emotional processing intervention that the investigators have developed, for people with IBS. In this randomized, controlled trial, the investigators will compare EAET to a standard intervention that teaches the conceptually opposite approach-relaxation training (RT)-and test how both of these interventions compare to a wait-list control condition. The investigators hypothesize that individuals in the EAET group will demonstrate greater improvement in their IBS symptom severity, psychological functioning, quality of life, and health care utilization at 4 and 12-week follow-up time points, compared to individuals in the wait-list control group. It is also expected that both of the active interventions (EAET and RT) will be more efficacious than the wait-list control condition.

Inclusion Criteria:

To be eligible to participate, individuals must meet the Rome III criteria for IBS. That is, they must report that they have had:

• recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort, or
• a change in stool frequency or form,
• at least three days per month, in the last three months, and
• that they have been given this diagnosis by a physician. They must also report having pain and discomfort of at least two days per week at time of screening.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals who report having post-infectious IBS,
• organic gastrointestinal diseases (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease), immunodeficiency,
• a current psychotic disorder,
• drug or alcohol dependence within the past two years, and
• those who are unable to communicate in English will be excluded.