Background: Studies have shown that psychological factors, including anxiety, have a significant effect on the development and exacerbation of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Among the new methods of reducing anxiety, we can mention Relaxation Training (RT) and Emotional Awareness and Expression Training (EAET), So far, their effectiveness in reducing Anxiety Sensitivity in patients with irritable bowel syndrome has not been compared in Iran.
Aims: The present study was conducted with the aim of comparing the efficacy of relaxation training and awareness and emotional expression training on anxiety sensitivity in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.
Methods: The current research design was a semi-experimental pre-test-post-test type with a control group and a two-month follow-up. The statistical population of the study included all patients with irritable bowel syndrome who referred to the gastroenterology Subspecialty offices in northwest Tehran from 2021 to July 2022, who were diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome by the doctor based on ROOM III diagnostic criteria. Using the purposeful sampling method (based on the entry criteria), 60 patients with irritable bowel syndrome were selected, And then they were randomly divided into three groups of 20 people (two experimental groups and one control group). The tool used in this research was the anexiety sensitivity index- revised (Taylor & Cox, 1998). Also, for the first experimental group, relaxation training in 8 sessions of 90 minutes based on the relaxation training protocol of Blanchard et al. (1993), For the second experimental group, awareness and emotional expression training in 8 sessions of 90 minutes based on the protocol of Lumley et al. (2017) it was held virtually. In order to analyze the research data, the Analysis of variance with repeated measures and SPSS-26 software was used.
Results: The findings showed that the total score of anxiety sensitivity and its components decreased significantly in the relaxation training group (P= 0.001). Also, the total score of anxiety sensitivity and its components decreased significantly in the emotional awareness and expression training group (P= 0.001), But the difference between the effect of the two educational methods was not significant on the other components of anxiety sensitivity, except in the component of Fear of cognitive dyscontrol (P= 0.031). Emotional awareness and expression training was a more effective method to reduce the Fear of cognitive dyscontrol compared to relaxation training.
Conclusion: Regarding the effectiveness of relaxation training and emotional awareness and expression training on the anxiety sensitivity of people with irritable bowel syndrome, It is suggested that health psychologists in medical centers and psychological clinics use these treatment methods to reduce the level of anxiety, especially anxiety sensitivity and its components in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and similar patients.