The following is a summary of “Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Efficacy of Acceptance Commitment Therapy for Adults Living With Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Distress,” published in the June 2024 issue of Gastroenterology by Romano, et al.

Given the link between Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) flare-ups and mental health issues, studies showed psychotherapy, particularly acceptance commitment therapy (ACT), to improve the quality of life in patients with IBD.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and initial effectiveness of an online ACT program for patients with IBD co-designed with patients.

They involved adults with IBD and mild-moderate distress who were assigned to either ACT for IBD or active control (psychoeducation). Each participant attended 8 weekly, 1-hour sessions, with 4 sessions facilitated by therapists. Feasibility metrics included recruitment and retention rates, while acceptability was gauged through post-program satisfaction surveys. Preliminary efficacy was assessed by comparing group differences in outcome changes from baseline to post-program assessment.

The results showed 62 participants (89% women, 11% men; mean age 33 years), 55 completed the program (ACTforIBD: n = 26 [83.9%]; active control: n = 29 [93.5%]). The ACT for IBD group observed high adherence and acceptability, with 80% completing all self-directed modules and 78% expressing satisfaction. Significant and marginally significant group × time interactions were observed for anxiety symptoms (b=-1.89; 95% CI, -3.38 to -0.42) and psychological HRQoL (b = -0.04; 95% CI, -0.07 to 0.01), demonstrating reduced anxiety and improved psychological HRQoL in the intervention group.

Investigators found ACTforIBD to be feasible, acceptable, and beneficial for reducing anxiety and improving mental health-related QoL, warranting a larger-scalee3ed 2w trial for definitive evidence.

Source: academic.oup.com/ibdjournal/article/30/6/911/7227516