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RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT

New research: Who benefits from exposure-based CBT for IBS?

A new study published in the internationally renowned CBT journal Behaviour Research and Therapy shows that gradually approaching IBS symptoms (so-called exposure) is especially important for a subgroup of individuals with IBS who show a high degree of fear avoidance.

Individuals with IBS were randomized to either receive a special form of Internet-based CBT that included exposure to IBS symptoms or an identical treatment with the only difference that it did not contain this treatment component. 

Previous research has shown that this treatment, as a whole, is effective for reducing IBS symptoms. This study found that the exposure component of the treatment was especially important for a positive outcome, and that these effects were especially noticeable in a subgroup of people who had a high level of IBS-related fear avoidance. These findings support the theory that fear avoidance is an important factor in the maintenance of IBS.

Read the full article here: 

Hesser, H., Hedman-Lagerlöf, E., Lindfors, P., Andersson, E., & Ljótsson, B. (2021). Behavioral avoidance moderates the effect of exposure therapy for irritable bowel syndrome: A secondary analysis of results from a randomized component trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 141, 103862. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2021.103862