The mind-body connection in irritable bowel syndrome: a randomised controlled trial of hypnotherapy as a treatment

Julie S. Phillips-Moore; Nicholas J. Talley; Michael P Jones

doi:10.1177/2055102914564583

The mind-body connection in irritable bowel syndrome: a randomised controlled trial of hypnotherapy as a treatment

Julie S. Phillips-Moore, Nicholas J. Talley, Michael P Jones

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

144 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Hypnotherapy has been reported as being beneficial in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We aimed to test the hypothesis that patients with IBS treated 'holistically' by hypnosis (i.e. by combined psychological and physiological symptom imagery) would have greater improvement in their IBS symptoms than patients treated by hypnosis using standard 'gut-directed' hypnotherapy, and both would be superior to simple relaxation therapy.

METHODS: Patients (n = 51) with Rome II criteria were randomised to 'individualised' (holistic) hypnotherapy, standard 'gut-directed' hypnotherapy or relaxation therapy for a period of 11 weeks with two follow-up assessments at 2 weeks and at 3 months after the completion of the trial. The primary outcome was bowel symptom severity scale (BSSS).

RESULTS: All the participants in this study improved their IBS symptoms (pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea) and physical functioning at the end of the treatment from baseline, but this was not significantly different across the treatment arms.

CONCLUSION: Neither 'individualised' nor 'gut-directed' hypnotherapy is superior to relaxation therapy in IBS.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-14
Number of pages	14
Journal	Health psychology open
Volume	2
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/2055102914564583
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2015

Bibliographical note

Copyright the Author(s) 2015. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Keywords

hypnotherapy
irritable bowel syndrome
IBS
psychological
randomised trial

Access to Document

10.1177/2055102914564583

Publisher version (open access).pdfFinal published version, 1.22 MBLicence: CC BY-NC

Cite this

@article{e4d3add8c2ec4f53ad23341e694c6dde,

title = "The mind-body connection in irritable bowel syndrome: a randomised controlled trial of hypnotherapy as a treatment",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: Hypnotherapy has been reported as being beneficial in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We aimed to test the hypothesis that patients with IBS treated 'holistically' by hypnosis (i.e. by combined psychological and physiological symptom imagery) would have greater improvement in their IBS symptoms than patients treated by hypnosis using standard 'gut-directed' hypnotherapy, and both would be superior to simple relaxation therapy.METHODS: Patients (n = 51) with Rome II criteria were randomised to 'individualised' (holistic) hypnotherapy, standard 'gut-directed' hypnotherapy or relaxation therapy for a period of 11 weeks with two follow-up assessments at 2 weeks and at 3 months after the completion of the trial. The primary outcome was bowel symptom severity scale (BSSS).RESULTS: All the participants in this study improved their IBS symptoms (pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea) and physical functioning at the end of the treatment from baseline, but this was not significantly different across the treatment arms.CONCLUSION: Neither 'individualised' nor 'gut-directed' hypnotherapy is superior to relaxation therapy in IBS.",

keywords = "hypnotherapy, irritable bowel syndrome, IBS, psychological, randomised trial",

author = "Phillips-Moore, \{Julie S.\} and Talley, \{Nicholas J.\} and Jones, \{Michael P\}",

note = "Copyright the Author(s) 2015. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.",

year = "2015",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1177/2055102914564583",

language = "English",

volume = "2",

pages = "1--14",

journal = "Health psychology open",

issn = "2055-1029",

publisher = "SAGE Publications",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The mind-body connection in irritable bowel syndrome

T2 - a randomised controlled trial of hypnotherapy as a treatment

AU - Phillips-Moore, Julie S.

AU - Talley, Nicholas J.

AU - Jones, Michael P

N1 - Copyright the Author(s) 2015. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

PY - 2015/1/1

Y1 - 2015/1/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: Hypnotherapy has been reported as being beneficial in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We aimed to test the hypothesis that patients with IBS treated 'holistically' by hypnosis (i.e. by combined psychological and physiological symptom imagery) would have greater improvement in their IBS symptoms than patients treated by hypnosis using standard 'gut-directed' hypnotherapy, and both would be superior to simple relaxation therapy.METHODS: Patients (n = 51) with Rome II criteria were randomised to 'individualised' (holistic) hypnotherapy, standard 'gut-directed' hypnotherapy or relaxation therapy for a period of 11 weeks with two follow-up assessments at 2 weeks and at 3 months after the completion of the trial. The primary outcome was bowel symptom severity scale (BSSS).RESULTS: All the participants in this study improved their IBS symptoms (pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea) and physical functioning at the end of the treatment from baseline, but this was not significantly different across the treatment arms.CONCLUSION: Neither 'individualised' nor 'gut-directed' hypnotherapy is superior to relaxation therapy in IBS.

AB - BACKGROUND: Hypnotherapy has been reported as being beneficial in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We aimed to test the hypothesis that patients with IBS treated 'holistically' by hypnosis (i.e. by combined psychological and physiological symptom imagery) would have greater improvement in their IBS symptoms than patients treated by hypnosis using standard 'gut-directed' hypnotherapy, and both would be superior to simple relaxation therapy.METHODS: Patients (n = 51) with Rome II criteria were randomised to 'individualised' (holistic) hypnotherapy, standard 'gut-directed' hypnotherapy or relaxation therapy for a period of 11 weeks with two follow-up assessments at 2 weeks and at 3 months after the completion of the trial. The primary outcome was bowel symptom severity scale (BSSS).RESULTS: All the participants in this study improved their IBS symptoms (pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea) and physical functioning at the end of the treatment from baseline, but this was not significantly different across the treatment arms.CONCLUSION: Neither 'individualised' nor 'gut-directed' hypnotherapy is superior to relaxation therapy in IBS.

KW - hypnotherapy

KW - irritable bowel syndrome

KW - IBS

KW - psychological

KW - randomised trial

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85016281981

U2 - 10.1177/2055102914564583

DO - 10.1177/2055102914564583

M3 - Article

C2 - 28070348

SN - 2055-1029

VL - 2

SP - 1

EP - 14

JO - Health psychology open

JF - Health psychology open

IS - 1

ER -

The mind-body connection in irritable bowel syndrome: a randomised controlled trial of hypnotherapy as a treatment

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this