Tarbiat Modares University International Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain Prevention 2476-5279 11 2 2026 05 01 The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Health Anxiety, Perceived Stress, and Pain Self-Efficacy in Females with Irritable Bowel Syndrome 1398 1406 28287 10.48311/ijmpp.2026.118926.82916 EN Ayesheh Golshani M.A in Clinical Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Semnan Branch, Semnan, Iran Seyedeh Marziyeh Hashemi M.A in General Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Sari Branch, Sari, Iran 0009-0002-9965-2414 Sonya Kouhi M.A in Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Mohaghegh Ardabili University, Ardabil, Iran Narges Asgari Toorzani M.A. in Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Welfare and Health Social Sciences, Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Vahid Savabi Niri Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil Branch, Ardabil, Iran 0000-0002-9526-1742 Journal Article 2026 02 22 Aims: The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on health anxiety, perceived stress, and pain self-efficacy among women with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Method and Materials: This study utilized a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a control group and included 36 patients with IBS who were referred by gastroenterologists in Ardabil Province in 2025. Participants were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n 18) or the control group (n 18). The intervention group attended eight 90-minute Cognitive Behavioral Therapy sessions. Data were collected using the Short Health Anxiety Inventory, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using multivariate analysis of covariance in SPSS version 27. Findings: The results demonstrated that CBT significantly decreased illness likelihood (F60.92), illness severity (F58.61), body vigilance (F64.91), perceived stress (F72.86), and increased pain self-efficacy (F69.23) in females with IBS(P 0.001). Conclusion: The findings of the present study underscore the profound impact of CBT on psychological and functional outcomes in females with IBS. By significantly reducing health anxiety and perceived stress, and by enhancing pain self-efficacy, CBT addresses the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral mechanisms that perpetuate symptom severity and functional impairment in IBS. https://ijmpp.modares.ac.ir/article_28287_4ea4cbd8d7fb64c1c6f6922c6d4b960f.pdf