Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Young Taiwanese Female Nursing Students with Irritable Bowel Syndrome—A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Tzu-Ying Lee, Tsung-Cheng Hsieh, Huei-Chuan Sung and Wan-Lan Chen
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Tzu-Ying Lee: Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 97004, Taiwan
Tsung-Cheng Hsieh: Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 97004, Taiwan
Huei-Chuan Sung: Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 97004, Taiwan
Wan-Lan Chen: Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 97004, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 5, 1-13

Abstract: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is prevalent within the general population. Studies have shown that stress and anxiety co-exist with IBS. Young Taiwanese women commonly exhibit physical and psychological health problems caused by academic stress. The purpose of our current study was to evaluate the efficacy of short-term Internet-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy (ICBT) on female nursing students in practicum. We performed a cluster randomized controlled trial comprised of 160 participants who met the inclusion criteria, which were divided into three groups: (1) ICBT, (2) expressive writing (EW), and (3) wait-list control. Treatment interventions lasted for 6 weeks. Levels of anxiety, depression, and IBS symptoms were assessed at four time points, baseline assessment at T0, 2 weeks after T0 (T1), at the end of practicum (T2), and at 3-month follow-up (T3). The results showed that ICBT and EW groups exhibited a significant, yet small, reduction in anxiety and depression at T2 and T3 compared to the wait-list control group. The EW group exhibited significantly greater reduction in anxiety and depression compared to the ICBT group at T2. However, the ICBT group demonstrated greater improvements in alleviating anxiety and depression at T3 compared to the EW group. These data indicate that ICBT and EW groups exhibited small effects on anxiety and depression reduction at T2 and T3 compared to the wait-list control group, with no effects on IBS symptoms in young Taiwanese female nursing students.

Keywords: Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy; expressive writing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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