A Minimal Contact Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Abdominal Pain-Related Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders: Pilot-Study of "Gutstrong".

Abstract

A randomized wait-list controlled pilot study was used to evaluate the preliminary efficacy of the "Gutstrong" intervention. "Gutstrong" is a CD-ROM based cognitive-behavioral intervention designed to treat teenagers with functional gastrointestinal disorders. Twenty adolescents aged 13-17 attending an abdominal pain clinic were randomly assigned to either the treatment group ("Gutstrong" plus standard medical care) or a wait-list control group (standard medical care only). Participants completed an initial baseline phase, an intervention phase, and an immediate post-intervention follow-up phase. The primary outcome measures included indices of pain and quality of life and secondary measures of mood, stress, and coping. Consumer satisfaction was also considered to obtain feedback about the program. Results show initial support for the "Gutstrong" program as a useful adjunctive treatment to standard medical care. The utility, appeal and cost-effectiveness of this program warrant further evaluation of its efficacy and effectiveness in the future.