An eight-week telehealth-delivered inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-specific cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) protocol reduces IBD-related disability, according to a study published in the June issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Chung Sang Tse, M.D., from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues examined the effect of IBD-specific CBT delivered through telehealth on disability in an open-label, multicenter randomized controlled trial involving adults with moderate-to-severe IBD-related disability. Participants were randomly assigned to receive eight weeks of telehealth-delivered CBT or usual care.
Ninety patients were randomly assigned, and of these, 74 completed the trial and 69 adhered to the teletherapy protocol. The researchers found that disability was significantly reduced (β = 5.9) in the teletherapy group, and there were clinically relevant improvements (adjusted odds ratio, 2.9) compared with controls. No difference was observed between the groups in clinical disease activity or in IBD costs (both direct and indirect).
“Additional investigations and applications of scalable, cost-effective psychological and behavioral interventions could accelerate and improve the implementation of psychological and behavioral nonpharmacological adjunctive therapies to reduce the impact of IBD on patients’ lives,” the authors write.
RELATED: What Black Americans Need to Know About IBD
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis — has often been thought of as a condition that mostly affects white patients. However, diagnoses are increasing among Black Americans. Unfortunately, Black patients may also face delays in diagnosis, more frequent complications, limited access to specialists, and barriers to mental health care that can make living with IBD even more challenging.
Studies like this one are important because they explore new ways to support the whole person — not just the disease. If effective therapies can be delivered virtually, more people may be able to get the care they need without worrying about travel or long wait times.
IBD is known for causing symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fatigue, but its impact often extends far beyond the digestive system. Living with unpredictable flare-ups can affect your emotional well-being, relationships, work, and overall quality of life. Many people with IBD also experience anxiety or depression, especially when symptoms interfere with everyday activities.
Managing IBD means taking care of both your physical and mental health. Addressing the emotional side of living with a chronic illness can help people feel more in control and improve their day-to-day functioning.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of talk therapy that helps people recognize and change unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. For people living with chronic conditions like IBD, CBT can provide practical strategies for managing stress, coping with symptoms, and navigating the emotional challenges that often come with the disease.
Please note that CBT doesn’t treat the inflammation that causes IBD or suggest that symptoms are “all in your head.” Instead, it gives people tools to better manage the physical and emotional effects of living with a lifelong condition.
RELATED: Let’s Talk About Ulcerative Colitis and a Clinical Research Study
Living with IBD is more than just managing digestive symptoms — it also means caring for your mental health. This study suggests that specialized telehealth therapy may help reduce the ways IBD affects daily life, even if it doesn’t directly change the disease itself.
If you’re living with IBD and feel that stress, anxiety, or the emotional impact of your condition is becoming overwhelming, please talk with your healthcare provider. Adding mental health support to your treatment plan may be another step toward feeling your best.
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