Use of Psychologist-administered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Self-administered CBT for the Treatment of Anxiety and/or Depression in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

This is a prospective, single center, randomized treatment study, where participants will be screened for anxiety and depression in an inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) population using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) questionnaire and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). Participants with GAD scores of ≥8 will be considered to have anxiety and those with a PHQ score of ≥10 will be considered to have depression. All participants with screening questionnaire scores positive for anxiety or depression will be randomized to treatment with either cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with a clinical psychologist (virtual visits) or CBT using a book written for IBD patients. The GAD and PHQ surveys will be repeated post treatment at weeks 6, 12 and 24. The primary objective of this study is to assess for an improvement in GAD and PHQ scores among subjects treated with CBT comparing 2 modalities of CBT. The secondary objectives are to assess for improvements in health-related quality of life, based on short IBD Questionnaire scores; assess for improvement in pain scores, based on the Brief Pain Inventory Short Form; and assess for improvement in fatigue scores based on the FACIT-Fatigue Scale, among subjects with poor scores at baseline following treatment with CBT.