Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional disorder of the gastrointestinal system, which is defined as gastrointestinal symptoms without organic causes. Etiology of this disease is unknown exactly, but most people have reported symptoms consistent with psychopathology disorders, abnormal personality and psychological stress. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the efficacy of group cognitive- behavior therapy (CBT) in decreasing anxiety and improving quality of life in patients suffering from IBS.
Materials and Methods: In a semi– experimental study, 15 IBS patients (diagnosed by a gastroenterologist applying the RomeІІ criteria) referred to the gastro intestinal and liver diseases research center between March 2010 and September 2010 were selected. Patients underwent group therapy in a 2–hour session each week for 8 weeks. Data collection tools were beck anxiety scale (BAI, 1988) and quality of life (SF –36, 1992). Data were analyzed by ANOVA using SPSS software.
Results: Consecutive measurement showed significantly lower mean scores in anxiety and higher in quality of life among IBS patients underwent group cognitive- behavior therapy.
Conclusion: Our findings support the efficacy of CBT in improving quality of life and decreasing anxiety on the IBS patients.