A Comparative Study on the Effects of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Emotion-Focused Therapy on Distress Tolerance in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Abstract

Background: The present study was conducted with the aim of comparing the effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and emotion-focused therapy (EFT) on distress tolerance in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Methods: The present study was conducted using a quasi-experimental method with a pretest-posttest design, follow-up, and a control group. The statistical population of the present study included IBS patients referred to Masoud Gastroenterology and Liver Clinic in Tehran, Iran. From among these patients, 35 patients were randomly selected and were assigned to 3 groups (2 experimental groups and 1 control group). The experimental groups took part in 8 weekly sessions of CBT or EFT and the control group did not receive any psychological intervention. The Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) (Simons‎ & Gaher, 2005) was used as the measurement instrument in this study. Two-factor repeated measures analysis of variance (mixed ANOVA) and one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used to analyze the data. Results: The results revealed that CBT and EFT were effective on the distress tolerance of IBS patients and both therapies had a lasting effect over time. There was no significant difference between the effects of the two methods on distress tolerance. Conclusion: CBT and EFT are effective interventions in enhancing the distress tolerance of IBS patients and these interventions can be used in programs designed to manage the symptoms of this disease.