Inflammatory bowel disease and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in the young

Youth with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are vulnerable for psychological problems. The brain-gut axis helps to understand the relationship between IBD disease activity and psychological problems, by proposing a bidirectional relationship between the brain and the gut. Psychological therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), therefore, may be useful in the holistic treatment of these patients, in which the larger family system needs to be included. This chapter summarizes the evidence for the co-occurrence of IBD and psychological problems, other psychological aspects of the disease, and the evidence for CBT in youth with IBD. To date, literature suggests the importance of psychological factors in the management of IBD. Results on the effectiveness of CBT in improving psychological outcomes are mixed and the few studies executed often did not take into account the fluctuating disease course IBD can have.