ICBT for Pain-predominant FGIDs in Children and Adolescents: an Implementation Study.

Internet-delivered Exposure-based Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Pain-predominant Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children and Adolescents: an Implementation Study.

This open trial aims to evaluate feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of an internet-delivered CBT-program for children and adolescents with functional gastrointestinal disorders when implemented in regular care.

Pain predominant functional gastrointestinal disorders (P-FGIDs) are common in children and adolescents and associated with impaired quality of life. Our research group have previously in a series of efficacy-studies shown that internet-delivered exposure-based CBT leads to reduced symptoms and increased quality of life in children and adolescents with P-FGIDs. There is therefore reason to investigate how the treatment should be disseminated in regular care. This open trial aim to evaluate feasibility and preliminary treatment effects in regular care of the internet-delivered CBT-program for children and adolescents with P-FGIDs. Method: Open trial with a pretest-posttest-design and no control group. The internet-delivered CBT-program is 10 week long and include weekly therapist support, consisting of online messages and telephone calls. Assessment points are baseline, weekly during treatment, post-treatment and follow-up at 3 months and 6 months after treatment completion. Analysis: Effect sizes and within-group differences will be calculated in an intent-to-treat analysis using Cohens' d and Student's t-test.

Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Dyspepsia, Functional Abdominal Pain

Exposure-based internet-delivered CBT with ten weekly modules distributed over the internet during ten weeks, and weekly therapist support over the internet.

The main target in treatment is exposure for abdominal symptoms by reducing avoidance and provoking symptoms. Participants are encouraged to gradually increase the difficulty by combining multiple challenges. The parents are taught how to reduce the risk for reinforcement of children's symptom behavior, and to support their child to complete the treatment. All treatment content is delivered over the internet, containing texts, videos, audio-files and examples. The modules are unlocked sequentially as participants worked their way through the treatment. Therapist support consists primarily of encouragement of any progress made in the treatment and support to find individual exercises.

Change in different dimensions of gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g. pain-related symptoms, nausea, bloating) from baseline to 10 weeks.

Change in different dimensions of gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g. pain-related symptoms, nausea, bloating) from baseline to 3 months follow up.

Change in different dimensions of gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g. pain-related symptoms, nausea, bloating) from baseline to 6 months follow up.

Inclusion Criteria: Age 8-17 at date of inclusion. Fulfilling Rome IV-criteria for irritable bowel syndrome, functional dyspepsia or functional abdominal pain with a written statement from patient's physician confirming a diagnosis. Stable psychotropic medication for at least 1 month. Exclusion Criteria: concurrent serious medical conditions. a psychiatric diagnosis, judged to be a more important treatment target than the abdominal pain. on-going structured psychological treatment. absence from school exceeding an average of 2 days a week the last month is a cause for exclusion since high school absence demands more intensive interventions than can be offered in ICBT. on-going abuse or severe parental psychiatric illness in the family. since treatment format assumes normal reading and writing skills, pronounced language skill deficits and learning difficulties lead to exclusion from the study. lack of regular internet-access.