A holistic group psychotherapeutic intervention for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and its comorbid depression and anxiety: research

Abstract

The aim of this study was to ascertain the effects of a holistic short-term group intervention in the treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) with comorbid depression and anxiety. The sample consisted of 24 South African women who had been diagnosed with severe IBS. Furthermore, each participant had to have associated moderate to severe depression and anxiety. The group design was a pre-test, post-test control group design where the experimental group (n = 12) received group intervention and the members of the control group (n = 12) received no intervention until after completion of the research. All the participants completed the Functional Bowel Disorder Seventy Index and the Depression and Anxiety subscales of the Personality Assessment Inventory before commencement of group therapy for Group 1 and one month after completion of this intervention. The effect of the intervention was determined by utilising comparative statistics. The findings indicate that holistic short-term group therapy results in significant improvement in terms of depression and anxiety scores, but that IBS symptom severity remains unchanged. It is recommended that further research be conducted to ascertain whether holistic group therapy of a longer duration has a greater impact on the IBS symptom severity.



Die doel van die studie was om die effek van 'n holistiese korttermyn groepsintervensie op die behandeling van Prikkelbare Dermsindroom (PDS), met komorbiede depressie en angs, te bepaal. Die steekproef is uit 24 Suid-Afrikaanse vroue saamgestel wat gediagnoseer is met ernstige PDS. Verdermeer moes elke deelnemer geassosieerde matige tot ernstige depressie en angs hê. Die groepsontwerp was 'n pre-toets, post-toets-kontrolegroep-ontwerp waarin die eksperimentele groep (n = 12) 'n groepsintervensie ontvang het en die lede van die kontrolegroep (n = 12) geen intervensie ontvang het totdat die navorsing afgehandel was nie. Al die deelnemers het die Functional Bowel Disorder Severity Index en die Depressie- en Angssubskale van die Personality Assessment Inventory voltooi voor die aanvang van groepsterapie vir Groep 1 asook een maand later na voltooiing van die intervensie. Die effek van die intervensie is deur middel van vergelykende statistieke bepaal. Die bevindings dui aan dat holistiese korttermyngroepsintervensie aanleiding gee tot betekenisvolle verbetering in terme van depressie- en angstellings, maar dat die ernstigheid van PDS-simptome onveranderd bly. Dit word aanbeveel dat verdere navorsing aangevoer word om te bepaal of langer holistiese groepsterapie 'n groter impak het op die ernstigheid van PDS-simptome.


(Health SA Gesondheid: interdisciplinary research journal: 2002 7(2): 45-55)