ABSTRACT
This study assessed the effects of hypnotherapy in conjunction with pharmacotherapy versus pharmacotherapy on the quality of life in patients diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome [IBS]. This clinical trial used the convenience sampling method to enroll 34 IBS patients. Patients were selected according to Rome III criteria and divided into two groups: i] hypnotherapy plus standard medical treatment and ii] standard medical treatment. The QOL-IBS scale assessed patient quality of life at baseline, post-treatment and at the six month follow-up. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance [ANCOVA]. There were significant differences observed between both groups at the post-treatment and follow-up stages in terms of quality of life [p<0.05]. Standard medical treatment in addition to hypnotherapy can be used to improve quality of life in IBS patients