# Psychotherapy helpful for patients with intractable dyspepsia



## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

ClinicalPsychotherapy helpful for patients with intractable dyspepsiaWESTPORT, Sep 14 (Reuters Health) - Psychotherapy appears to reduce gastrointestinalsymptoms in patients with chronic, intractable functional dyspepsia, UK researchers report in theSeptember issue of Gastroenterology.Dr. Elspeth Guthrie, of the Manchester Royal Infirmary, and colleagues sought to determinewhether psychotherapy would be of use in treating patients with chronic functional dyspepsiawho had failed to respond to conventional pharmacologic treatment.The researchers randomly assigned 37 such patients to seven sessions ofpsychodynamic-interpersonal psychotherapy, a method which "emphasizes the formation of astrong collaborative working alliance with the patient." A further 36 patients, who served ascontrols, spent the same amount of time with a therapist, but were "encouraged to express theirfeelings and distress concerning their symptoms."Patients completed questionnaires before the intervention, immediately after the intervention and12 months later. Blinded gastroenterologists assessed the patients before and after treatment.At the end of the therapy period, both patients' and gastroenterologists' total symptom scoresshowed "significant advantages" for those in the psychotherapy group. At 12 months, symptomscores were similar for the two groups. However, when patients with severe heartburn wereexcluded, the condition of psychotherapy patients was deemed "superior" to that of controls at12 months.The investigators note that there was no outcome difference between patients with normal andabnormal gastric emptying. In an accompanying editorial, Dr. David H. Alpers, of Washington University School ofMedicine, St. Louis, Missouri, characterizes the study as "careful and thoughtful," and advisesgastroenterologists to "pay attention to psychiatric/psychological diagnostic and therapeutictools and to learn to apply them to patients with functional bowel disorders."Gastroenterology 2000;119:661-669,869-871.-Westport Newsroom 203 319 2700------------------ http://www.ibshealth.com/


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## JeanG (Oct 20, 1999)

Hi Eric:Thanks for posting this.







Dyspepsia must be very difficult to deal with, and it would be great if therapy helped to ease the symptoms.JeanG


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