The efficacy of commitment and acceptance and behavioral cognitive interventions on emotional schemas and quality of life in patients with irritable bowel syndrome with generalized anxiety disorder

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder that can be stimulated and intensified by psychological factors such as anxiety and negative imotions and affects the quality of life of these patients. But can help the behavioral cognitive and acceptance and commitment interventions on improve the qulailty of life and emotional schemas in patients with irritable bowel syndrome with generalized anxiety disorder?

The aim of study was the efficacy of behavioral cognitive and acceptance and commitment interventions on qulailty of life and emotional schemas in patients with irritable bowel syndrome with generalized anxiety disorder.

This study was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest and posttest design with a control group and follow up for three months. The statistical population included patients with irritable bowel syndrome and generalized anxiety disorder in Tehran. 60 patients were selected through targeted sampling and were assigned randomly into two experimental groups and one control group (n= 20 each). Experimental groups received twelve 90-minute sessions of behavioral cognitive (Dugas & Robichaud, 2007) and acceptance and commitment (Eifert & Forsyth, 1396) interventions, and the control group received no intervention during this period. Participants were assessed by Patrick & Drossman's IBS Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (1998) and Jiang & et.al emotional schemas questionnaire (2019) in pre-test and post-test. The results were analysed using multivariate analysis of variance.

Both interventions had a significant effect on improve the quality of life and emotional schemas (P<0.01), this effect was stable during follow-up period (P <0.01). Also, there was no significant difference between the two treatments in terms of efficacy and both treatments are equally effective.

Each of the behavioral cognitive and acceptance and commitment interventions as an effective intervention can be used in medical centers to improve the quality of life and emotional schemas of patients with irritable bowel syndrome and generalized anxiety disorder.