Cited by 215Eating Disorders and BehaviorsNutrition, Health and Food BehaviorAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes

Psychological treatments for bulimia nervosa and binging

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Hay, Phillipa PJ, Bacaltchuk, Josué, Stefano, Sergio, Kashyap, Priyanka·2009·Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A specific manual-based form of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been developed for the treatment of bulimia nervosa (CBT-BN) and other common related syndromes such as binge eating disorder. Other psychotherapies and modifications of CBT are also used. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of CBT, CBT-BN and other psychotherapies in the treatment of adults with bulimia nervosa or related syndromes of recurrent binge eating. SEARCH STRATEGY: Handsearch of The International Journal of Eating Disorders since first issue; database searches of MEDLINE, EXTRAMED, EMBASE, PsycInfo, CURRENT CONTENTS, LILACS, SCISEARCH, CENTRAL and the The Cochrane Collaboration Depression, Anxiety & Neurosis Controlled Trials Register; citation list searching and personal approaches to authors were used. Search date June 2007. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials of psychotherapy for adults with bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and/or eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) of a bulimic type which applied a standardised outcome methodology and had less than 50% drop-out rate. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Data were analysed using the Review Manager software program. Relative risks were calculated for binary outcome data. Standardised mean differences were calculated for continuous variable outcome data. A random effects model was applied. MAIN RESULTS: 48 studies (n = 3054 participants) were included. The review supported the efficacy of CBT and particularly CBT-BN in the treatment of people with bulimia nervosa and also (but less strongly due to the small number of trials) related eating disorder syndromes.Other psychotherapies were also efficacious, particularly interpersonal psychotherapy in the longer-term. Self-help approaches that used highly structured CBT treatment manuals were promising. Exposure and Response Prevention did not enhance the efficacy of CBT.Psychotherapy alone is unlikely to reduce or change body weight in people with bulimia nervosa or similar eating disorders. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There is a small body of evidence for the efficacy of CBT in bulimia nervosa and similar syndromes, but the quality of trials is very variable and sample sizes are often small. More and larger trials are needed, particularly for binge eating disorder and other EDNOS syndromes. There is a need to develop more efficacious therapies for those with both a weight and an eating disorder.

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  1. Griffiths 1993 {published and unpublished data} * Griffiths RA, Channon-Little L. The hypnotizability of patients with bulimia nervosa and partial syndromes participating in a controlled treatment outcome study. Contemporary Hypnosis 1993;10:81-7.
  2. Lee 1986 {published and unpublished data} Kumetz NC. Bulimia: A descriptive and treatment study. PhD Thesis The University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas 1983.
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  5. Devlin 2000 {published data only} Devlin MJ, Goldfein JA, Carino JS, Wolk SL. Open treatment of overweight binge eaters with phentermine and fluoxetine as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioral therapy. International Journal of Eating Disorders 2000;28(3):325-32.
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  7. Jager 1996 {published data only} Jager B, Liedtke JB, Kunsbeck HW, Lempa W, Kersting A, Seide L. Psychotherapy and bulimia nervosa: evaluation and longterm follow-up of two conflict orientated treatment conditions. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 1996;93:268-78.
  8. Johnson 1984 {published data only} Johnson WG, Schlundt DG, Kelley ML, Ruggiero L. Exposure with response prevention and energy regulation in the treatment of bulimia. International Journal of Eating Disorders 1984;3:37-46.
  9. Johnson 1993 {published data only} Johnson Cl, Sansone RA. Integrating the twelve-step approach with traditional psychotherapy for the treatment of eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders 1993;14:121-34.
  10. Liedtke R, Jager B, Lempa W, Kunsbeck HW, Grone M, Freyberger H. Therapy outcome of two treatment models for bulimia nervosa. Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics 1991;56:56-63.
  11. Mitchell J, Fletcher L, Pyle R, Eckert E, Hatsukami D, Pomeroy C. The impact on meal patterns in patients with bulimia nervosa. International Journal of Eating Disorders 1989;8:167-72.
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  16. Cooper PJ, Coker S, Fleming C. Self-help for bulimia nervosa: A preliminary report. International Journal of Eating Disorders 1994;16:401-4.
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Authors
Hay, P. P., Bacaltchuk, J., Stefano, S., & Kashyap, P.
Affiliations
  • Western Sydney University (AU)
  • Universidade Federal de São Paulo (BR)
  • Universidade Federal de São Paulo; Department of Psychiatry; Rua Casa do Ator 764 apto 102 São Paulo - SP Brazil 04546-003
  • University of Mumbai (IN)
Venue
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2009-10-07
Issue
4
Pages
CD000562-CD000562
ISSN
  • 1361-6137 (ISSN-L)
  • 1465-1858
OpenAlex
W1517106575
Cited by
215
References
228
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 20 · 2012: 19
FWCI
2.00
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UNIFESP Institutional Repository (Universidade Federal de São Paulo) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
Keywords
bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, eating disorder not otherwise specified, cognitive behavioral therapy, psychotherapy efficacy, interpersonal psychotherapy, self-help, exposure and response prevention, weight loss
MeSH terms
Adult, Female, Humans, Male, Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge-Eating Disorder

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