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Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Bulimia Nervosa and Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified: Translation from Randomized Controlled Trial to a Clinical Setting

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 October 2014

Sarah Knott ,
Debbie Woodward ,
Antonia Hoefkens  and
Caroline Limbert
Sarah Knott
Affiliation:
Cardiff Metropolitan University, Wales
Debbie Woodward
Affiliation:
Whitchurch Hospital, Cardiff and Vale NHS University Health Board, Wales
Antonia Hoefkens
Affiliation:
Whitchurch Hospital, Cardiff and Vale NHS University Health Board, Wales
Caroline Limbert*
Affiliation:
Cardiff Metropolitan University, Wales
*
Reprint requests to Caroline Limbert, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Llandaff Campus, Western Avenue, Cardiff CF5 2YB. Wales. E-mail: climber@cardiffmet.ac.uk
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Abstract

Background: Enhanced Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT-E) (Fairburn, Cooper and Shafran, 2003) was developed as a treatment approach for eating disorders focusing on both core psychopathology and additional maintenance mechanisms. Aims: To evaluate treatment outcomes associated with CBT-E in a NHS Eating Disorders Service for adults with bulimia and atypical eating disorders and to make comparisons with a previously published randomized controlled trial (Fairburn et al., 2009) and “real world” evaluation (Byrne, Fursland, Allen and Watson, 2011). Method: Participants were referred to the eating disorder service between 2002 and 2011. They were aged between 18–65 years, registered with a General Practitioner within the catchment area, and had experienced symptoms fulfilling criteria for BN or EDNOS for a minimum of 6 months. Results: CBT-E was commenced by 272 patients, with 135 completing treatment. Overall, treatment was associated with significant improvements in eating disorder and associated psychopathology, for both treatment completers and the intention to treat sample. Conclusions: Findings support dissemination of CBT-E in this context, with significant improvements in eating disorder psychopathology. Improvements to global EDE-Q scores were higher for treatment completers and lower for the intention to treat sample, compared to previous studies (Fairburn et al., 2009; Byrne et al., 2011). Level of attrition was found at 40.8% and non-completion of treatment was associated with higher levels of anxiety. Potential explanations for these findings are discussed.

Keywords

Adultsbulimia nervosacognitive behaviour therapycognitive behavioural interventioneating disordersEDNOScognitive behavioural therapy

Information

Type
Clinically Grounded Clinical Intervention
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 43 , Issue 6 , November 2015 , pp. 641 - 654
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2014 

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