Internet-delivered CBT for Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Adolescents

Internet-delivered CBT for Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Adolescents - a Randomized Controlled Study

This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the treatment effects of an internet-delivered CBT-program for adolescents with irritable bowel syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is prevalent and associated with low quality of life in adolescents. Medical or dietary treatments lack evident efficiency, while psychosocial interventions, i.e. cognitive behavior therapy (CBT)has shown promising effects in face-to-face treatments. Therapists trained to deliver CBT for IBS are scarce, leading to a situation where very few adolescents with IBS receive the only evidence-based intervention. Exposure-based internet-delivered CBT (ICBT) for adults with IBS has shown strong stable effects and cost-efficency. Our aim is to develop a treatment that enhances the availability to evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents with IBS. Such a treatment could swiftly be implemented in regular health care for this large population. The main purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of exposure-based ICBT to treatment as usual (wait-list) for adolescents with IBS.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 13-17 at inclusion date.
• fulfilling Rome III-criteria for IBS with a written statement from patient's physician confirming a diagnosis of IBS and negative required tests (Blood samples: C-reactive protein or erythrocyte sedimentation rate, Blood count and IgA-Transglutaminase. Stool: f-Calprotectin).

Exclusion Criteria:

• concurrent serious medical conditions.
• a psychiatric diagnosis, judged to be a more important treatment target than the abdominal pain.
• on-going psychological treatment.
• absence from school exceeding an average of 2 days a week is a cause for exclusion since high absence demands more intensive interventions than can be offered in ICBT.
• on-going abuse or severe parental psychiatric illness in the family.
• since treatment format assumes normal reading and writing skills, pronounced language skill deficits and learning difficulties lead to exclusion from the study.
• lack of regular internet-access.