Internet-delivered Psychological Treatment of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders

Summary

Brief Summary

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID), including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), are common conditions characterized by recurrent gastrointestinal symptoms that cannot be fully explained by structural disease. FGID are associated with reduced quality of life, functional impairment, psychiatric comorbidity, and high healthcare utilization. Psychological interventions, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), have demonstrated beneficial effects in FGID, but access to specialized treatment remains limited.

This study aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and potential clinical effects of a Danish exposure-based internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) program for adults with FGID. The intervention has been translated and culturally adapted from a Swedish program with previously documented efficacy.

In this single-arm feasibility study, 30 adults with FGID will complete a 10-week therapist-supported iCBT program consisting of psychoeducation, symptom monitoring, identification of avoidance behaviors, exposure exercises, and relapse prevention strategies. Participants will receive asynchronous weekly written support from trained CBT therapists.

Feasibility outcomes include treatment adherence and completion, participant satisfaction, treatment credibility, working alliance, adverse effects, and acceptability of the internet platform. Clinical outcomes include gastrointestinal symptom severity and quality of life, alongside measures of illness perceptions, illness worry, emotional distress, behavioral responses, functional symptoms, and spontaneous cognition during rest. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up.

The study is conducted in Denmark as part of The Danish FGID Treatment Study through collaboration between Aarhus University Hospital, Regional Hospital Silkeborg, Aarhus University, and Karolinska Institute, Sweden. The findings will inform the future implementation and evaluation of internet-delivered psychological treatment for Danish patients with FGID.

Conditions

• Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (FGID)

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

I-CBT

Experimental : Internet-delivered psychological treatment for FGID The i-CBT program consists of 5 modules and takes 10 weeks to complete. The participants will be expected to use approximately 4 hours per week on the treatment. Asynchronous written support will be provided by a therapist on a weekly basis. The therapists are experienced in CBT treatment and will receive regular supervision by the Swedish collaborators. The treatment program consists of the following. 1) Thorough information regarding FGID provided as text. 2) Introduction to basic treatment principles of CBT provided as text. 3) Exercises to help the patients become aware of their FGID symptoms and FGID-related thoughts in daily life. 4) Exercises to help the patients discover what they have been avoiding due to their symptoms (e.g. specific foods, situations or activities). 5) Exposure exercises to previously avoided foods, situations or activities.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Aarhus University Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Aarhus

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Lisbeth Frostholm, Professor · Department for Functional Disorders, Aarhus University Hospital/Aarhus University

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-05-30

Primary Completion

2027-09-01

Completion

2027-12-20