Virtual adjunctive gut-directed hypnotherapy for people with Crohn's disease: A randomized controlled pilot and feasibility trial.

Background: Gut-directed hypnotherapy appears to be a promising adjunctive treatment for people with Crohn's disease. The primary objective of this pilot trial was to evaluate feasibility and acceptability of virtually delivered hypnotherapy to determine the parameters for a future definitive trial.

Methods: This prospective, single-site, randomized controlled pilot and feasibility trial compared a 7-week course of virtually delivered adjunctive gut-directed hypnotherapy to standard medical treatment only for adults with Crohn's disease.

Fatigue, Physical Activity, and Mental Health in People Living With Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Fibromyalgia, and in Healthy Controls: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Survey.

This study aimed to identify biopsychosocial factors associated with fatigue, physical activity, and perceived benefits of and barriers to exercise in adults with inflammatory bowel disease and to compare them with those with fibromyalgia and healthy controls. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted. Hierarchical linear regressions were used to examine correlates of fatigue and physical activity.

Patient satisfaction with treatment for alcohol use disorders: comparing patients with and without severe mental health symptoms.

Background: Previous studies suggest patients with co-occurring alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and severe mental health symptoms (SMHS) are less satisfied with standard AUD treatment when compared to patients with an AUD alone. This study compared patient satisfaction with standard AUD treatment among patients with and without SMHS and explored how standard treatment might be improved to better address the needs of these patients.

Methods: Eighty-nine patients receiving treatment for an AUD either at an inpatient hospital, outpatient clinic, inpatient detoxification, or residential/therapeutic community services were surveyed.

An Aggravated Trajectory of Depression and Anxiety Co-morbid with Hepatitis C: A Within-groups Study of 61 Australian Outpatients.

Background: This study aimed to explore the course of depression and anxiety in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Methods:   Data were combined from two studies: (1) Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores in 395 consecutive Australian outpatients from 2006 to 2010 formed the baseline measurement; and (2) Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) scores in a survey of a sub-sample of these patients in 2011 formed the follow-up measurement. After converting DASS to HADS scores, changes in symptom scores and rates of case-ness (≥8), and predictors of follow-up symptoms were assessed.

'I'm a sick person, not a bad person': patient experiences of treatments for alcohol use disorders.

Background: Emerging research indicates that standard treatments for alcohol use disorders may not fully meet the needs of patients with co-occurring severe mental health symptoms. Investigating health quality indicators may provide insight into how current treatment might be improved.

Objective: To better understand the experiences of patients receiving treatment for alcohol use disorders and compare the experiences of patients with and without co-occurring severe mental health symptoms.

The effects of a designer music intervention on patients' anxiety, pain, and experience of colonoscopy: a short report on a pilot study.

There is a controversy on whether listening to music before or during colonoscopy reduces anxiety and pain and improves satisfaction and compliance with the procedure. This study aimed to establish whether specifically designed music significantly affects anxiety, pain, and experience associated with colonoscopy. In this semirandomized controlled study, 34 patients undergoing a colonoscopy were provided with either muted headphones (n = 17) or headphones playing the investigator-selected music (n = 17) for 10 minutes before and during colonoscopy.

A cognitive behavioural therapy booklet for anxiety in functional gastrointestinal disorders: Patient and health practitioner perspectives.

Objective: Psychotherapy is commonly used to treat functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGiDs), yet face-to-face psychotherapy is 15 labour intensive, less convenient for patients as it involves travel to the practice, costly and not always easily available. Self-administered psychotherapies have not been extensively investigated in this population. This study aimed to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a self-administered cognitive behavioural therapy booklet to reduce anxiety in patients with FGiD.

The experience of anxiety in colonoscopy outpatients: a mixed-method study.

Colonoscopy is commonly used to investigate gastrointestinal symptoms such as pain or changes in bowel habits and may either induce patient anxiety or assist in patient reassurance. Currently, 2 studies investigating negative colonoscopy, reassurance, and anxiety came to conflicting conclusions on this issue. Furthermore, it is possible that differences in coping styles may influence patient anxiety.

Acceptability of psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, and self-directed therapies in Australians living with chronic hepatitis C.

Despite the prevalence of psychiatric co-morbidity in chronic hepatitis C (CHC), treatment is under-researched. Patient preferences are likely to affect treatment uptake, adherence, and success. Thus, the acceptability of psychological supports was explored.

What are the implications of changing treatment delivery models for patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a discussion paper.

An integrated model of care has been used effectively to manage chronic diseases; however, there is limited, yet encouraging evidence on its introduction in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a chronic gastrointestinal condition. Here, the rationale for and implications of introducing an integrated model of care for patients with IBD are discussed, with a particular focus on psychology input, patient-centred care, efficiency as perceived by patients and doctors, financial implications and the possible means of model introduction. This is a discussion paper on the integrated model of care for IBD against a background of what has been learned from an integrated model of care established in other chronic conditions.

"It's a tube up your bottom; it makes people nervous": the experience of anxiety in initial colonoscopy patients.

This study aimed to prospectively consider the effect of colonoscopy on patients' experiences of anxiety at 4 time points related to an initial colonoscopy, using a qualitative approach. The study involved a sample of 13 patients undergoing an initial colonoscopy at a public hospital and followed for 12 months. Four exploratory interviews were conducted with each participant: before the procedure, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 12 months after the procedure.

A magic pill? A qualitative analysis of patients' views on the role of antidepressant therapy in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Background: Studies with healthy volunteers have demonstrated that antidepressants can improve immunoregulatory activity and thus they may have a potential to positively impact the disease course in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a chronic and incurable condition. However, patients' views on the role of antidepressants in the management of their IBD are unknown. Thus, this study aimed to explore patients' experiences and opinions regarding the effect of antidepressants on IBD course before possibly undertaking future treatment trials with antidepressants.

The role of antidepressants in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): a short report on a clinical case-note audit.

Objective: This study sought to determine the frequency of use and types of antidepressants used in IBD patients and to collect data with respect to any effect of antidepressants on the course of IBD in a usual care setting.

Method: A case-note audit was conducted at an IBD Service in a public tertiary hospital. Included patients were those diagnosed with IBD by a gastroenterologist; and have had contact with the IBD Service in the last 6months.

Integrated models of care in managing inflammatory bowel disease: a discussion.

The World Health Organization has recommended the integrated model of care as the current best practice of care, and, in recent years, it has been gaining popularity worldwide in various settings. However, there have been very few reports on applications of this model to the care of patients with gastrointestinal problems and no reports in the case of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, several IBD centres worldwide have been using the model as part of their standard care.

An integrated model of care for inflammatory bowel disease sufferers in Australia: development and the effects of its implementation.

Background: Psychological comorbidities are associated with poor outcome and increased healthcare utilization in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, a model of care addressing the biopsychosocial dimension of disease is not routinely applied in IBD. This review describes the development of such a model and the effects of its implementation in a hospital-based cohort of patients with IBD.

Help-seeking and coping with the psychosocial burden of chronic hepatitis C: a qualitative study of patient, hepatologist, and counsellor perspectives.

Background: Chronic hepatitis C affects millions of people worldwide, may have significant physical consequences, and patients are also at increased risk of psychiatric morbidity. However, it is currently unknown how patients cope with, and seek help for the psychosocial issues which contribute to this psychiatric morbidity.

Objectives: This study aimed to qualitatively explore the biopsychosocial burden of chronic hepatitis C, patients' subsequent coping and help-seeking, and the patient-health professional relationship from the different perspectives of patients, hepatologists, and counsellors.

Treatment of psychological co-morbidities in common gastrointestinal and hepatologic disorders.

Anxiety and depressive disorders frequently coexist with gastrointestinal and hepatologic conditions. Despite their high prevalence, approach to treating these co-morbidities is not always straightforward. This paper aims to review the current literature into etiology of psychological co-morbidities and their treatment in three conditions commonly encountered at gastroenterology outpatient clinics, namely inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and chronic hepatitis C (HepC).

Protection from traumatic brain injury in hormonally active women vs men of a similar age: a retrospective international study.

Background: It has been suggested that women with traumatic brain injury have more favorable outcomes than do men because of higher levels of circulating estrogen and progesterone that may reduce brain edema.

Objectives: To determine whether there is any association between sex and mortality in TBI patients and whether there is any association between sex and brain edema.

Design: Retrospective cohort study using data from 2001 to 2007 collected from a trauma registry in Hong Kong and the Victorian State Trauma Registry.

Determinants of resilience to cigarette smoking among young Australians at risk: an exploratory study.

Background: Numerous researchers studied risk factors associated with smoking uptake, however, few examined protective factors associated with smoking resilience. This study therefore aims to explore determinants of smoking resilience among young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who are at risk of smoking.

Methods: Overall, 92 out of 92 vocational education students accepted invitation to participate in this exploratory study.

Aortic transection: demographics, treatment and outcomes in Victoria, Australia.

Objective: The epidemiology of aortic transection is changing with improvements in road safety and the use of endovascular stents. This research investigates the profile of cases and outcomes of traumatic thoracic aortic transection in Victoria, Australia.

Methods: Data were extracted from the Victorian State Trauma Registry for the period July 2001 to December 2007.

Bicycling injuries and mortality in Victoria, 2001-2006.

Objective: To investigate the incidence of bicycling injuries and bicycle injury characteristics in the Victorian population.

Design: Review of prospectively collected data.

Setting: Bicycling injury data were extracted from four datasets for the period July 2001 to June 2006: (i) emergency department (ED) presentations from the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset; (ii) hospital admissions from the Victorian Admitted Episodes Data Set; (iii) major trauma cases from the Victorian State Trauma Registry (VSTR); and (iv) deaths from the National Coroners Information System.

Incidence and outcomes of major trauma assaults: a population-based study in Victoria.

Objective: To describe the incidence and outcomes of assault resulting in serious injury in Victoria.

Design And Setting: Analysis of population-based data from the Victorian State Trauma Registry for assaults between 1 July 2001 and 30 June 2007.

Main Outcome Measures: Overall trends in the rate of assault-related major trauma, inhospital mortality, and functional outcomes 6 months after injury as measured by the Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale.