WISH 2.0: Strengths and Happiness program for people with IBS
Official title: The WISH Intervention for IBS: Feasibility, Preliminary Effects, and Candidate Gut-Brain Mechanisms
Run by Massachusetts General Hospital · NCT06866106 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial will test a positive psychology program to see if it improves well-being and gut symptoms in adults with IBS compared with an educational program.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 50 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Massachusetts General Hospital Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Boston, Massachusetts) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 30, 2025 |
| Main results expected | April 2028 |
| Study ends | August 2028 |
| Registry record updated | June 22, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06866106 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults with IBS who meet Rome IV diagnostic criteria, speak English, have phone access, and do not have IBD, severe psychiatric illness, cognitive impairment, or disqualifying cardiac issues are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients whose symptoms are better explained by inflammatory bowel disease or other structural GI disease, those with severe unmanaged psychiatric illness or cognitive impairment, or those unable to participate remotely or who plan to start other psychotherapy are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
WISH 2.0 randomizes adults who meet Rome IV criteria for IBS to an optimized positive psychology (PP) intervention or an educational control to examine feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects. The PP program is designed for scalable, remote delivery using structured exercises to boost positive psychological well-being, while the control provides education about IBS. Outcomes include patient-reported well-being, IBS symptoms, health-related quality of life, and candidate gut–brain mechanism measures, along with feasibility and acceptability metrics. Key exclusions include inflammatory bowel disease, severe psychiatric illness, cognitive impairment, and certain cardiac conditions or medications.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could improve well-being, reduce IBS symptoms, and provide a scalable, low-burden behavioral option for people with IBS.
How similar studies have gone: Positive psychology interventions have produced benefits in other chronic medical conditions, but aside from preliminary proof-of-concept work by the investigators, PP has not been tested in IBS.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * IBS Diagnosis: Adult patients with an IBS diagnosis meeting standardized Rome IV diagnostic criteria. * Language and communication: English fluency and access to a phone. Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of inflammatory bowel disease or other structural/biochemical primary gastrointestinal illness that better explains IBS-like symptoms: As reported by the patient, their physician, and/or documented in the medical record. * Severe psychiatric illness: Current manic episode, psychosis, or active substance use disorder diagnosed via the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) or Diagnostic Interview for Anxiety, Mood, and OCD and Related Neuropsychiatric Disorders (DIAMOND). * Cognitive impairment: Assessed using a six-item cognitive screen developed for research. * Presence of atrial fibrillation or a cardiac pacemaker, or daily use of beta blocking medication: As reported by the patient and/or documented in the medical record. * Plans to start or participate in another new behavioral health intervention or psychotherapy during the study period.
Where it's running
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Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Elizabeth N Madva, MD — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Elizabeth N Madva, MD
- Email: emadva@mgh.harvard.edu
- Phone: 617-724-6300
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.