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CBT, intensive medical care equally effective in reducing abdominal pain
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Cognitive-behavioral therapy and intensive medical care both reduced functional abdominal pain in children, according to recent study findings published in Pediatrics.
The randomized controlled study included 104 children aged 7 to 18 years with functional abdominal pain assigned to either cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT; n=52) or intensive medical care (n=52). Evaluations were done at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 6- and 12-month follow-up.
Each group attended six weekly sessions. Primary outcomes were reported from questionnaires and diaries on abdominal pain. Secondary outcomes were also assessed as gastrointestinal complaints, functional disability, other somatic complaints, anxiety, depression and quality of life.
Researchers found significant decreases in abdominal pain for both types of therapy (P<.001). However, no significant difference was found between treatments (P>.05). Sixty percent of the CBT group had significantly improved or recovered after 1 year of treatment compared with 56.4% of the intensive medical care group, showing no significant difference (P=.47). Nearly all secondary outcomes also improved after treatment.
“CBT appears effective in the treatment of children with [functional abdominal pain] but is equally effective as an intensified form of medical care delivered by pediatricians or pediatric gastroenterologists experienced in treating children with functional gastrointestinal disorders,” the researchers wrote. “Future studies should focus on unraveling the working mechanisms of CBT to improve and tailor the treatment of children with [functional abdominal pain].”
Disclosure: The study was funded by the Dutch Digestive Foundation.
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