This study is being done to better understand the complex relationship between mental health and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), with a particular focus on symptoms of depression and anxiety. While depression and anxiety have traditionally been viewed as reactions to the burden of living with IBD, new research suggests that the biological factors involved in IBD may also contribute directly to these mental health challenges. This study aims to evaluate whether a virtual, group-based psychological treatment is both acceptable and feasible for patients with IBD who experience significant depression and/or anxiety. Researchers will also evaluate participants' depression, generalized anxiety, and associated psychosocial factors (poor sleep quality, GI-specific anxiety, fatigue) before, during, and after treatment. Finally, researchers will evaluate disease severity as it relates to mental health status by comparing it to symptoms, biochemical disease and tryptophan metabolites from blood and stool samples.
People who agree to join the study will be asked to attend three in-person visits and 10 virtual group psychotherapy sessions over 11 weeks. Participants will be asked to complete questionnaires, give stool and blood samples, and the research team will collect information about participations from medical records.
18+ years of age
Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis)
English-speaking
Patients with score ≥10 on General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire (considered moderate or higher anxiety symptoms) or ≥10 on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) (considered moderate or higher depressive symptoms) within 3 months
Unwilling and/or unable to participate
Non-English speakers
Unable to understand the instructions or to consent to participation in the study, including patients with a diagnosed cognitive impairment
Single group
Group Psychotherapy Intervention
BehavioralParticipants will engage in a course of ten, 120-minute sessions of group psychotherapy. The intervention will be guided by the Mind Over Mood treatment manual. Mind Over Mood is a manual that is published and commonly used to treat depression and anxiety as guided by a therapist and for self-help. For this study, the manual will be adapted for patients with IBD. Session content will include interventions such as psychoeducation on the brain-gut connection and the CBT model, behavioral activation and activity scheduling, cognitive monitoring and restructuring, development of behavioral experiments to test underlying assumptions, building acceptance and gratitude, and maintenance of gains and relapse prevention.
Determine acceptability of a 10-session, group-based, virtual treatment guided by the Mind over Mood treatment manual in patients with IBD with clinically significant depression and/or anxiety
Acceptability will be assessed using the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-4 (CSQ-4), which is used to measure overall satisfaction and client self-efficacy in healthcare, mental health, and social programs. Scores range from 4-16, with higher scores indicating higher satisfaction with the treatment. CSQ-4 scores are commonly classified as "low satisfaction/dissatisfaction" (4-8), "moderate/neutral satisfaction" (9-12), and "high satisfaction" (13-16).
Determine feasibility of a 10-session, group-based, virtual treatment guided by the Mind over Mood treatment manual in patients with IBD with clinically significant depression and/or anxiety
Feasibility will be assessed by analyzing recruitment and retention (i.e., number of patients who are referred that enroll in the study and complete treatment)
Change in depression
Measured via Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), a 9-item self-report tool used to screen, diagnose, and measure the severity of depression in clinical settings. It scores depressive symptoms experienced over the past two weeks on a scale from 0 to 27, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms. Scores are commonly classified as "minimal or no depression" (0-4), "mild depression" (5-9), "moderate depression" (10-14), "moderately severe depression" (15-19), and "severe depression" (20-27).
Change in anxiety
Measured via Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), a 7-item self-report tool used to screen for anxiety and measure its severity over the past two weeks. Scores range from 0-21, with higher numbers indicating more severe symptoms. GAD-7 scores are commonly classified as "minimal anxiety" (0-4), "mild anxiety" (5-9), "moderate anxiety" (10-14), and "severe anxiety" (15-21).
Change in fatigue
Measured via Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue), 13-item tool that measures tiredness and how it affects daily life over the past 7 days. Scores range from 0-52, with higher numbers indicating less fatigue. FACIT-Fatigue scores are commonly classified as "severe fatigue" (0-21), "moderate fatigue" (22-30), "mild fatigue" (31-40), and "little to no fatigue" (40-52).
Change in sleep quality
Measured via Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), 19-item self-report questionnaire that evaluates subjective sleep quality and disturbances over a one-month time period. Scores range from 0-21, with higher numbers indicating worse sleep quality. PSQI scores are commonly classified as "good sleep quality" (0-5) and "poor sleep quality" (6-21).
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University of Chicago
Lead sponsor
GI Research Foundation
Collaborator
This trial is not recruiting at the moment. You can still explore other options:
