Psychotherapy Preferences for Individuals with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Clinically Significant Fatigue: A Large Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract Background There is limited research on psychotherapeutic intervention preferences for individuals with IBD experiencing fatigue. The current study aimed to examine psychotherapy preferences, comparing ACT, CBT, and MBI, for individuals with IBD experiencing clinically significant fatigue. Predictors of psychotherapy preference, including participant demographic or health-related variables, were also examined. Methods An online cross-sectional survey was administered. Frequencies were provided for preferences between ACT vs MBI, and separately for ACT vs CBT. Binomial logistic regressions were used to determine which participant demographic or health-related variables, were predictors of psychotherapy preference. Results The final sample consisted of 660 individuals with IBD experiencing clinically significant fatigue. Over two thirds of the sample preferred ACT (68.5%) over MBI (31.5%). Similarly, over two thirds of the sample preferred ACT (68.8%) over CBT (31.2%). Participants who scored higher on the DASS-21 depression subscale were more likely to choose ACT over MBI (OR 1.06, 95% CI [1.01, 1.11], p = 0.02). Conversely, participants who scored higher on the DASS-21 anxiety subscale were less likely to choose ACT over MBI (OR 0.93, 95% CI [0.87,0.99], p = 0.01). There were no significant predictors for preference of ACT over CBT. Conclusions Participants psychotherapy preferences, and their predictors, should be considered in designing future trials for IBD.