Aims: One of the most prevalent gastrointestinal functional disorders is the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Different medical and psychological treatments are conducted to control the symptoms of the disease. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the cognitive-behavioral stress management training on the severity of the symptoms and emotional welfare of patients with IBS.

Materials & Methods: In the controlled pretest-posttest clinical trial study, 30 patients with IBS were studied in Ardabil in 2012. The subjects, selected via available sampling method, were randomly divided into two groups including experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. Data was collected using the IBS severity questionnaire, the characteristic positive and negative affection scale, and the life satisfaction scale. Ten 90-minute group cognitive-behavioral stress management treatment sessions were conducted in experimental group. The subjects were assessed at both pretest and posttest steps. Data was analyzed by SPSS 20 software using multivariate covariance analysis test.

Findings: The mean scores of positive affection, negative affection, life satisfaction, and IBS symptom severity of experimental and control groups were significantly different at the posttest step (p<0.001). 51%, 55%, 89%, and 57% of positive affection component, negative affection component, life satisfaction, and IBS symptom severity variances could be determined by the cognitive-behavioral stress management training, respectively.

Conclusion: The cognitive-emotional stress management treatment can reduce the severity of the symptoms, while it can increase the emotional welfare, in the patients with IBS.