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. 2022 Dec;67(12):5472-5482.
doi: 10.1007/s10620-022-07476-x. Epub 2022 Apr 8.

Self-Worth Beliefs Predict Willingness to Engage in Psychotherapy for Fatigue in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Catherine Emerson  1 , David Skvarc  2   3 , Matthew Fuller-Tyszkiewicz  2 , Lisa Olive  2   3 , Peter R Gibson  4 , Antonina Mikocka-Walus  2
Affiliations

Self-Worth Beliefs Predict Willingness to Engage in Psychotherapy for Fatigue in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Catherine Emerson et al. Dig Dis Sci. 2022 Dec.

Abstract

Background: Fatigue in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is poorly controlled, with few existing interventions. Psychotherapy interventions for IBD fatigue show promise; however, due to mixed findings in efficacy and attrition, current interventions need improvement. Some research shows beliefs about psychotherapy and stigma toward psychotherapy may impact engagement in psychotherapy interventions.

Aims: This study aimed to examine the effects of IBD activity, fatigue, mental health status, previous experience with psychotherapy, and stigma toward psychotherapy on willingness to use psychotherapy as a fatigue intervention.

Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted, and linear regression models were used to examine willingness to engage in psychotherapy for fatigue.

Results: Overall, 834 participants completed the survey. Regression analysis examining demographics, mental health status, IBD activity, fatigue, pain, antidepressant use, psychotherapy experience, and self-worth intervention efficacy belief significantly explained 25% of variance in willingness to use psychotherapy for fatigue. Significant factors included antidepressant use (b = .21, p < .01), pain (b = - .05, p < .001), and self-worth intervention belief (b = - .27, p < .001), which uniquely explained 18% of variance in the outcome.

Conclusions: Willingness to engage in psychotherapy for fatigue in IBD appears to be driven by expectations related to specific self-worth beliefs, rather than stigma, IBD activity, or any prior experience with psychotherapy. Clinicians should directly address these expectations with their patients.

Keywords: Crohn’s disease; Fatigue; Inflammatory bowel disease; Psychotherapy; Ulcerative colitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors do not have any conflicts of interest in relation to the present study.

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