Factors associated with complementary and alternative medicine use in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A literature review

Aim: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a chronic functional bowel condition, which has substantial impact on quality of life and use of healthcare services. Patients often report using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for symptom management despite limited evidence to support its use. Psychological factors have been shown to be important in both influencing CAM use and as avenues of intervention to assist in managing IBS symptoms. Therefore, this review assessed prevalence of and psychological factors associated with CAM use by people with IBS. Method: Five electronic databases (including AMED, EMBASE and PsychINFO) were searched for studies that examined both the extent of and the reasons for CAM use. Five studies met the inclusion criteria. Results: Prevalence of CAM use ranged from 9% to 38%. CAM use was associated with psychosocial factors, including concerns about conventional medical care (i.e., the perceived harmful effects of medication, perception that conventional medicine had failed, and lack of satisfaction with conventional care) and anxiety. Conclusion: These findings identify psychological factors associated with CAM use which could be targeted through psychologically oriented management strategies for those affected with IBS.