Comparing clinical and research treatments for eating disorders
Abstract
Objective This study evaluated whether there is a gap between research and practice in the treatment of eating disorders. Method Psychologists in clinical practice (N = 126) were surveyed regarding their treatment of a recent client with an eating disorder and a content analysis of published treatment outcome studies for eating disorders (N = 76) was conducted. Results The treatment of eating disorders in clinical and research settings was found to differ significantly on several variables, including the types of therapeutic issues addressed and the frequency of comorbidity seen in clients. Logistic regression analyses found that the frequency with which psychologists read journal articles about eating disorders was significantly related to whether their clients received empirically validated treatment. Discussion Psychologists in clinical practice are not using empirically validated treatments not only because of a lack of training but also because such treatments provide little guidance for dealing with the issues and comorbid problems that their clients with eating disorders often have.
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Studies indicate that therapists routinely use less well-supported or unevidenced approaches, despite being trained in CBT-ED.
“Such studies indicate that therapists routinely use less well-supported or unevidenced approaches, despite being trained in CBT-ED.”
From To deliver or not to deliver cognitive behavioral therapy for eating disorders: Replication and extension of our understanding of why therapists fail to do what they should do (2018) · cites this paper as Haas & Clopton, 2003
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- Authors
- Haas, H. L., & Clopton, J. R.
- Affiliations
- Texas Tech University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Clopton, James R.
- Venue
- International Journal of Eating Disorders
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2003-03-20
- Volume
- 33
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 412-420
- ISSN
- 0276-3478 (ISSN-L)
- 1098-108X
- OpenAlex
- W2075870077
- Cited by
- 59
- References
- 12
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 2.04
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Eating Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- 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
- eating disorders, empirically supported treatments, research-practice gap, clinical psychologists, treatment outcome studies, comorbidities, intervention fidelity
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Feeding and Eating Disorders, Clinical Competence, Data Collection, Depressive Disorder, Education, Continuing, Female, Humans, Male, Periodicals as Topic, Psychology, Clinical, Psychotherapy, Quality Assurance, Health Care, Research, Comorbidity, Treatment Outcome
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