Stepped care and cognitive-behavioural therapy for bulimia nervosa: randomised trial

Can people with longstanding bulimia nervosa suffer from severe and enduring eating disorder? A qualitative study

OBJECTIVES

To interview a series of individuals with bulimia nervosa of longstanding to establish their symptoms and examine the suggestion, using qualitative analysis, that the term "Severe and Enduring Bulimia Nervosa (SEED-BN)" might be appropriate and helpful.

METHODS

12 participants with Bulimia Nervosa, one male, were interviewed with the help of an interview guide. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were analysed using Thematic Analysis.

RESULTS

Participants with Bulimia Nervosa described serious problems in many realms, especially social, psychological, family and relationships.

CONCLUSIONS

Bulimia nervosa of long duration is associated with many serious symptoms. It seems likely that recognition of long-standing bulimia nervosa as a severe and enduring eating disorder could encourage clinicians and families to pay attention to the wide variety of problems suffered by this group. Further research is required to examine this proposal.

Effective Treatment Approaches for Eating Disorders in Children and Adolescents: A Review Article

Eating disorders are serious psychiatric illnesses marked by disordered behaviors toward food and eating due to dissatisfactory body shape and weight, which impact the physical and psychological growth of children and adolescents. This review aims to recognize the effectiveness of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy in treating eating disorders. The most common type of eating disorder is anorexia nervosa characterized by severe restriction of energy intake and an intense fear of gaining weight. Bulimia nervosa is characterized by episodes of binging and purging followed by compensatory behaviors. Binge eating disorder is characterized by binging without compensatory behaviors. Avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder is characterized by a lack of interest in eating unrelated to weight and shape concerns. Depending on the severity of the condition, patients could be treated as an inpatient, partial hospitalization, or outpatient treatment using different psychotherapies, including family-based therapy, psychodynamic individual treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy, adolescent-focused therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy, or a combination of both. Studies in children and adolescents show that family-based therapy is considered the first-line treatment for anorexia nervosa, and the second evidence-based approach is adolescent-focused therapy. As for bulimia nervosa, both family-based treatment and cognitive behavioral therapy are almost equally effective. In binge eating disorder, cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy are the most beneficial psychotherapies. For avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder, psychotherapy or hospitalization could be considered. Concerning pharmacotherapy, none of the medications have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for children and adolescents.

Treatment of Eating Disorders: Current Status, Challenges, and Future Directions

Specific psychological treatments have demonstrated efficacy and represent the first-line approaches recommended for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. Unfortunately, many patients, particularly those with anorexia nervosa, do not derive sufficient benefit from existing treatments, and better or alternative treatments for eating disorders are needed. Less progress has been made in developing pharmacologic options for eating disorders. No medications approved for anorexia nervosa exist, and only one each exists for bulimia nervosa and for binge-eating disorder; available data indicate that most patients fail to benefit from available medications. Longer and combined treatments have generally not enhanced outcomes. This review presents emerging findings from more complex and clinically relevant adaptive treatment designs, as they offer some clinical guidance and may serve as models for future enhanced treatment research.

Adaptive design trials in eating disorder research: A scoping review

OBJECTIVE

This scoping review sought to map the breadth of literature on the use of adaptive design trials in eating disorder research.

METHOD

A systematic literature search was conducted in Medline, Scopus, PsycInfo, Emcare, Econlit, CINAHL and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Articles were included if they reported on an intervention targeting any type of eating disorder (including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and other specified feeding or eating disorders), and employed the use of an adaptive design trial to evaluate the intervention. Two independent reviewers screened citations for inclusion, and data abstraction was performed by one reviewer and verified by a second.

RESULTS

We identified five adaptive design trials targeting anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder conducted in the USA and Australia. All employed adaptive treatment arm switching based on early response to treatment and identified a priori stopping rules. None of the studies included value of information analysis to guide adaptive design decisions and none included lived experience perspectives.

DISCUSSION

The limited use of adaptive designs in eating disorder trials represents a missed opportunity to improve enrolment targets, attrition rates, treatment outcomes and trial efficiency. We outline the range of adaptive methodologies, how they could be applied to eating disorder research, and the specific operational and statistical considerations relevant to adaptive design trials.

PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE

Adaptive design trials are increasingly employed as flexible, efficient alternatives to fixed trial designs, but they are not often used in eating disorder research. This first scoping review identified five adaptive design trials targeting anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder that employed treatment arm switching adaptive methodology. We make recommendations on the use of adaptive design trials for future eating disorder trials.

Lived experience perspectives on eating disorder research: The use of adaptive trials and research priorities

OBJECTIVE

This novel study sought to understand lived experience and carer perspectives on the use of adaptive trials to evaluate interventions for eating disorders, in addition to understanding the factors and outcomes of most importance in eating disorder research and treatments from a lived experience perspective.

METHOD

A total of 73 people with either lived or carer experience consented, 70 started the questionnaire, and 36 (51%) completed all questions. Participants were asked Likert scale and open-ended questions to understand what factors and outcomes of eating disorder interventions were most important to them and understand their pre-existing knowledge of clinical trials. Two videos were then used to explain randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and adaptive trials and participants were asked their opinions, including perceived benefits and concerns, of each trial type.

RESULTS

The thematic analysis found two key themes regarding factors important in eating disorder treatment: Person-centred care and Evidence-based and effective treatment; and two key themes regarding outcomes of treatment: Sustained, full recovery and The bigger picture. Both RCTs and adaptive trials were viewed favorably, however, there was a slight preference for adaptive trials. Key themes for both demonstrated perceived benefits and ethical, practical, and scientific considerations unique to each.

DISCUSSION

Findings demonstrate the support of adaptive trials in eating disorder interventions from people with lived experience and their carers. It is recommended that researchers consider the use of adaptive designs and the incorporation of lived experience perspectives when designing future intervention trials.

PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE

This novel study found that the use of adaptive trials in eating disorder intervention research is supported by people with lived experience and carers. Furthermore, the factors and outcomes of most importance to participants in this study are comparable to those previously identified in the emerging literature. The use of adaptive designs and the incorporation of lived experience are recommended in further clinical trials.

Web-based guided self-help cognitive behavioral therapy-enhanced versus treatment as usual for binge-eating disorder: a randomized controlled trial protocol

Binge-eating disorder (BED) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of eating a large amount of food in a discrete period of time while experiencing a loss of control. Cognitive behavioral therapy-enhanced (CBT-E) is a recommended treatment for binge-eating disorder and is typically offered through 20 sessions. Although binge-eating disorder is highly responsive to CBT-E, the cost of treating these patients is high. Therefore, it is crucial to evaluate the efficacy of low-intensity and low-cost treatments for binge-eating disorder that can be offered as a first line of treatment and be widely disseminated. The proposed noninferiority randomized controlled trial aims to determine the efficacy of web-based guided self-help CBT-E compared to treatment-as-usual CBT-E. Guided self-help will be based on a self-help program to stop binge eating, will be shorter in duration and lower intensity, and will require fewer therapist hours. Patients with binge-eating disorder (N = 180) will be randomly assigned to receive guided self-help or treatment-as-usual. Assessments will take place at baseline, mid-treatment, at the end of treatment, and at 20- and 40-weeks post-treatment. Treatment efficacy will be measured by examining the reduction in binge-eating days in the previous 28 days between baseline and the end of treatment between groups, with a noninferiority margin (Δ) of 1 binge-eating day. Secondary outcomes will include full remission, body shape dissatisfaction, therapeutic alliance, clinical impairment, health-related quality of life, attrition, and an economic evaluation to assess cost-effectiveness and cost-utility. The moderators examined will be baseline scores, demographic variables, and body mass index. It is expected that guided self-help is noninferior in efficacy compared to treatment-as-usual. The proposed study will be the first to directly compare the efficacy and economically evaluate a low-intensity and low-cost binge-eating disorder treatment compared to treatment-as-usual. If guided self-help is noninferior to treatment-as-usual in efficacy, it can be widely disseminated and used as a first line of treatment for patients with binge-eating disorder. The Dutch trial register number is R21.016. The study has been approved by the Medical Research Ethics Committees United on May 25th, 2021, case number NL76368.100.21.

10‐session Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT-T) for Eating Disorders: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis

To review the literature examining the effectiveness and efficacy of a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for eating disorders delivered in ten sessions for those who are not underweight (CBT-T). A systematic search of the literature (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Scopus and ProQuest) was conducted to identify relevant publications to date at the time of March 2022 (re-run in May 2023). Intervention studies of any study design that investigated CBT-T offering outcome data at least pre- to post- intervention for eating disorder and related outcomes were included. Results were reported for treatment attrition, abstinence, remission, eating disorder psychopathology, disordered eating behaviours, psychosocial impairment, depression and anxiety and synthesised using a narrative synthesis framework. The Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) quality assessment tool (Thomas et al., 2004) was used to assess the quality of included studies. Outcomes for 555 people who received CBT-T across eight studies (one randomised control trial and seven non-randomised studies) were synthesised. Support was found for the effectiveness and efficacy of CBT-T for a range of non-underweight eating disorders, with respect to eating disorder psychopathology, disordered eating behaviours, psychosocial impairment, abstinence and remission. CBT-T also led to improvements for depression and anxiety symptoms. CBT-T appears to improve eating disorder and co-morbid outcomes for people with non-underweight eating disorders within ten sessions, with comparable results to standard-length CBT for eating disorders (CBT-ED). Although results for CBT-T are promising, there were concerns with the quality of the studies. Future research is required to strengthen the evidence base with larger, higher-quality studies which compare CBT-T directly with recommended psychological treatments, such as standard-length CBT-ED.

Accessibility of Psychological Treatments for Bulimia Nervosa: A Review of Efficacy and Engagement in Online Self-Help Treatments

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterised by marked impairment to one's physical health and social functioning, as well as high rates of chronicity and comorbidity. This literature review aims to summarise existing academic research related to the symptom profile of BN, the costs and burden imposed by the illness, barriers to the receipt of care, and the evidence base for available psychological treatments. As a consequence of well-documented difficulties in accessing evidence-based treatments for eating disorders, efforts have been made towards developing innovative, diverse channels to deliver treatment, with several of these attempting to harness the potential of digital platforms. In response to the increasing number of trials investigating the utility of online treatments, this paper provides a critical review of previous attempts to examine digital interventions in the treatment of eating disorders. The results of a focused literature review are presented, including a detailed synthesis of a knowledgeable selection of high-quality articles with the aim of providing an update on the current state of research in the field. The results of the review highlight the potential for online self-help treatments to produce moderately sized reductions in core behavioural and cognitive symptoms of eating disorders. However, concern is raised regarding the methodological limitations of previous research in the field, as well as the high rates of dropout and poor adherence reported across most studies. The review suggests directions for future research, including the need to replicate previous findings using rigorous study design and methodology, as well as further investigation regarding the utility of clinician support and interactive digital features as potential mechanisms for offsetting low rates of engagement with online treatments.

Models of care for eating disorders: findings from a rapid review

BACKGROUND

Delayed diagnosis, gaps in services and subsequent delays in specialist care and treatment lead to poorer health outcomes for individuals with eating disorders (EDs) and drive significant government healthcare expenditure. Given the significant disease burden associated with EDs, it is imperative that current implementation research is summarised to identify gaps in care and enable refinement for optimal patient outcomes. This review aimed to provide an updated synthesis on models of care for EDs in developed healthcare systems.

METHODS

This paper was conducted as part of a series of Rapid Reviews (RRs) to be published in a special series in the Journal of Eating Disorders. To provide a current and rigorous review, peer-reviewed articles published in the English language between 2009 and 2021 across three databases (ScienceDirect, PubMed and Ovid/Medline) were searched, with priority given to higher level evidence (e.g., meta-analyses, large population studies, Randomised Control Trials (RCTs)). The current review synthesises data from included studies investigating models of care for people with EDs.

RESULTS

Sixty-three studies (4.5% of the original RR) were identified, which included several diagnostic populations, the most common being Anorexia Nervosa (AN) (30.51%). Across EDs, specialist care was found to improve patient outcomes, with many patients effectively being treated in outpatient or day programs with multi-disciplinary teams, without the need for lengthy inpatient hospitalisation. Few studies investigated the interaction of different ED services (e.g., inpatient, community services, primary care), however stepped care models emerged as a promising approach to integrate ED services in a targeted and cost-effective way. Issues surrounding low treatment uptake, underdiagnosis, long waiting lists and limited hospital beds were also evident across services.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggested further research into alternatives to traditional inpatient care is needed, with partial and shorter 'hospitalisations' emerging as promising avenues. Additionally, to tackle ongoing resource issues and ensure timely detection and treatment of EDs, further research into novel alternatives, such as active waiting lists or a greater role for primary care clinicians is needed. This paper is part of a larger Rapid Review series carried out to guide Australia's National Eating Disorders Research and Translation Strategy 2021-2031. Rapid reviews aim to thoroughly summarise an area of research over a short time period, typically to help with policymaking in this area. This Rapid Review summarises the evidence relating to how we care for people with eating disorders in Western healthcare systems. Topics covered include inpatient/hospital care, residential care, day programs, outpatient/community care, and referral pathways. Findings suggested specialist eating disorder services may enhance detection, referral, and patient care. Stepped care models presented as a cost-effective approach which may help with linkage between different eating disorder services. There was a trend towards shorter hospital stays and approaches which allow for greater connection with the community, such as day programs. Evidence was also found of treatment delays, due to system issues (long waiting lists, lack of accurate assessment and diagnosis) and patient-related barriers (stigma, recognition). Upskilling and involving primary care clinicians in diagnosis and referral as part of a stepped care model may help to address some of these concerns. Further efforts to improve mental health literacy and de-stigmatise help-seeking for eating disorders are needed.

Challenges in eating disorder diagnosis and management among family physicians and trainees: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Family physicians are one of the first points of contact for individuals with eating disorders (EDs) seeking care and treatment, but training in this area is suboptimal and insufficient. Specialized ED treatment programs often have long wait lists, and family physicians are responsible for patients care in the interim. The aim of this study was to identify the learning needs and challenges faced by Canadian family physicians and trainees when caring for patients with EDs.

METHODS

We recruited six family medicine residents and five family physicians practicing in an academic unit in the Department of Family Medicine of a medical school in urban southwestern Ontario, Canada. We used purposive sampling, focusing on residents and faculty physicians from the department and conducted one focus group for the residents and another for the faculty physicians, exploring their clinical knowledge and challenges when managing ED patients. The focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim prior to thematic coding.

RESULTS

Physicians and residents faced challenges in discussing, screening, and managing patients with EDs. Three themes that emerged from the qualitative data highlighted training needs related to: (a) improving communication skills when treating a patient with an ED, (b) more effective screening and diagnosis in primary care practice, and (c) optimizing management strategies for patients with an ED, especially patients who are waiting for more intensive treatment. A fourth theme that emerged was the distress experienced by family physicians as they try best to manage and access care for their patients with EDs.

CONCLUSION

Addressing the learning needs identified in this study through continuing education offerings could aid family physicians in confidently providing effective, evidence-based care to patients with EDs. Improvement in training and education could also alleviate some of the distress faced by family physicians in managing patients with EDs. Ultimately, system changes to allow more efficient and appropriate levels of care for patients with EDs, removing the burden from family medicine, are critical as EDs are on the rise. A person with an eating disorder will normally seek care from their family physician first. These conditions can dramatically reduce the quality of a person's life and health. Family physicians therefore need to know how best to help these patients or refer them to a more intensive level of care, which often has long wait lists. We asked a group of family physicians and a group of family medicine trainees about their experiences with patients with eating disorders and about the information they wished they had to help these patients. The results show that they need more information on how to talk to a patient about eating disorders without judgement, how to diagnose a patient with an eating disorder, and then what treatment and management is needed while they wait for more intensive treatment for sicker patients. The physicians and trainees both talked about the stress and worry that they faced when treating patients with eating disorders. Besides their lack of training about these conditions, family physicians also described difficulties when trying to access timely specialized services for their patients. Physicians can experience moral distress when they know that their patients need higher level care, but there are systemic barriers to specialized programs that block their patients from getting the care they need when they need it.

Family-based treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa: Outcomes of a stepped-care model

OBJECTIVE

Stepped-care models of treatment are underexplored in eating disorders. To enhance treatment outcomes, and informed by literature about adaptations to family-based treatment (FBT), we developed an FBT-based stepped-care model for adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) that was consistent with family preference (i.e., tailored) and responsive to adolescent needs (i.e., intensity). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of this model in terms of remission at end-of-treatment.

METHOD

Adolescents (N = 82), aged 12-18 years (M = 15.1, SD = 1.8) and meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition criteria for AN, were assessed at baseline, Weeks 24 and 48. FBT was tailored to family preference and clinical need, with 16-18 sessions by Week 24. This was followed by three FBT booster sessions or an extension of FBT plus booster sessions (Week 48). The primary outcome was defined as weight > 95% of %median body mass index plus within 1 SD of the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) global score community norms.

RESULTS

Remission rates were 45.1% and 52.4% at Weeks 24 and 48, respectively. Commensurable improvements were evident across secondary outcomes (e.g., EDE subscale scores). As a reference point, remission rates compared positively with results from a recent randomized clinical trial from the same center and at the same time points (Week 24:45.1% vs. 32.1% and Week 48:52.4% vs. 30.2%). Controlling for propensity score, no statistically significant differences were observed.

DISCUSSION

This stepped-care model, designed to be responsive to the individual needs of adolescents and their families, achieved encouraging rates of remission. This study provides an important signal that supports future clinical trials of stepped-care models for adolescents with AN.

Clinical moderators and predictors of cognitive-behavioral therapy by guided-self-help versus therapist-led for binge-eating disorder: Analysis of aggregated clinical trials

OBJECTIVE

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)-therapist-led (CBTth) and guided-self-help (CBTgsh)-has efficacy for binge-eating disorder (BED) but many patients do not benefit sufficiently. We examined predictors and moderators for these two CBT methods.

METHOD

Data were aggregated from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing psychosocial treatments for BED in the U.S. Predictors and moderators of outcomes (treatment completion and binge-eating remission) were examined in N = 457 participants who received either CBTgsh (N = 164) or CBTth (N = 293).

RESULTS

Analyses, adjusting for demographic/clinical variables, indicated CBTth was significantly superior to CBTgsh for treatment completion (odds ratio [OR] = 20.0) and remission (OR = 14.6). For remission, analyses revealed significant predictors (age, treatment length, Weight Concern), a moderator (weight concern [OR = 5.13]), and a significant interaction between CBT-type and treatment length (OR = 2.66). For CBTgsh, longer treatment was associated with less remission, whereas for CBTth, longer treatment was associated with greater remission. For CBTgsh, 44.1% with low weight concern versus 56.3% with high weight concern achieved remission whereas for CBTth, 43.5% with high weight concern and 61.0% with low weight concern achieved remission.

DISCUSSION

Analyses of aggregated RCT BED data, adjusting for demographic/clinical characteristics, indicated superiority (large effect-sizes) in treatment outcomes of CBTth over CBTgsh and that Weight Concern moderated outcomes.

Clinical and cost-effectiveness of two ways of delivering guided self-help for people with an eating disorder: A multi-arm randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

Increasing the availability and accessibility of evidence-based treatments for eating disorders is an important goal. This study investigated the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of guided self-help via face-to-face meetings (fGSH) and a more scalable method, providing support via email (eGSH).

METHOD

A pragmatic, randomized controlled trial was conducted at three sites. Adults with binge-eating disorders were randomized to fGSH, eGSH, or a waiting list condition, each lasting 12 weeks. The primary outcome variable for clinical effectiveness was overall severity of eating psychopathology and, for cost-effectiveness, binge-free days, with explorative analyses using symptom abstinence. Costs were estimated from both a partial societal and healthcare provider perspective.

RESULTS

Sixty participants were included in each condition. Both forms of GSH were superior to the control condition in reducing eating psychopathology (IRR = -1.32 [95% CI -1.77, -0.87], p < .0001; IRR = -1.62 [95% CI -2.25, -1.00], p < .0001) and binge eating. Attrition was higher in eGSH. Probabilities that fGSH and eGSH were cost-effective compared with WL were 93% (99%) and 51% (79%), respectively, for a willingness to pay of £100 (£150) per additional binge-free day.

DISCUSSION

Both forms of GSH were associated with clinical improvement and were likely to be cost-effective compared with a waiting list condition. Provision of support via email is likely to be more convenient for many patients although the risk of non-completion is greater.

Psychotherapy and Medications for Eating Disorders: Better Together?

PURPOSE

Eating disorders are prevalent public health problems associated with broad psychosocial impairments and with elevated rates of psychiatric and medical comorbidities. Critical reviews of the treatment literature for eating disorders indicate that although certain specialized psychological treatments and specific medications show efficacy to varying degrees across the different eating disorders, many patients fail to derive sufficient benefit from existing treatments. This article addresses whether combining psychological and pharmacologic interventions confers any additional benefits for treating eating disorders.

METHODS

This study was a critical review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing combined psychological and pharmacologic treatment approaches for eating disorders with a focus on anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge-eating disorder (BED).

FINDINGS

For AN, 3 of the 4 RCTs reported no significant advantage for combining treatments; the fourth reported a statistically significant, albeit clinically modest, advantage. For BN, 10 of the 12 RCTs reported no significant advantage for combining treatments; 2 RCTs found that combining fluoxetine with specific psychological treatments enhanced outcomes relative to medication only but not relative to the psychological treatments only. For BED, of the 12 RCTs, only 2 (both with antiseizure medications) significantly enhanced both binge-eating and weight outcomes, and only 2 (with orlistat, a weight-loss medication) enhanced weight loss but not binge-eating outcomes.

IMPLICATIONS

Despite the public health significance of eating disorders, the scope of research performed on the utility of combining treatments is limited. To date, the few RCTs testing combined pharmacologic plus psychological treatments for eating disorders have yielded mostly nonsignificant findings. Future RCTs should focus on testing additive benefits of medications with relevant mechanisms of action to available effective psychological interventions. In addition, future RCTs that test additive effects should use adaptive designs, which could inform treatment algorithms to enhance outcomes among both responders and nonresponders to initial interventions.

Outpatient therapy for adult anorexia nervosa: Early weight gain trajectories and outcome

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the study was to identify latent classes of trajectory of change in body mass index (BMI) between the initial and thirteenth session of outpatient treatment for adult anorexia nervosa and identify the association with outcome.

METHOD

Participants (n = 120) were randomised to one of three outpatient therapies.

RESULTS

Four latent classes were identified; two classes (higher, rapid and higher, moderate) had BMI > 17 kg/m² at initial assessment, and both gained significantly more weight over the 13 sessions compared to the other two classes. The third and fourth classes (middle, stable and low, stable) had an initial BMI of 16.44 and 15.31, respectively, and neither gained weight over the first 13 sessions. Compared to the other three classes, the higher, rapid class (N = 19, 16%) showed a significantly greater BMI increase over the first 13 sessions of therapy and a significantly higher rate of remission at end of treatment and 12-month follow-up (18-22 months post-randomisation).

CONCLUSIONS

The group with the greatest early weight gain had significantly higher levels of remission. Higher BMI at baseline without substantial early weight gain was insufficient to produce higher levels of remission than those with lower weight at baseline.

Randomized controlled trial testing the effectiveness of adaptive "SMART" stepped-care treatment for adults with binge-eating disorder comorbid with obesity

This randomized controlled trial (RCT) tested effectiveness of adaptive SMART stepped-care treatment to "standard" behavioral weight loss (BWL [standard]) for patients with binge-eating disorder (BED) and obesity. One hundred ninety-one patients were randomly assigned to 6 months of BWL (standard; n = 39) or stepped care (n = 152). Within stepped care, patients started with BWL for 1 month; treatment responders continued BWL, whereas nonresponders switched to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and patients receiving stepped care were additionally randomized to weight-loss medication or placebo (double-blind) for the remaining 5 months. Independent assessments were performed reliably at baseline, throughout treatment, and posttreatment. Intent-to-treat (ITT) analyses of remission rates (zero binges/month) revealed that BWL (standard) and stepped care did not differ (74.4% vs. 66.5%); within stepped care, remission rates ranged 40.0% to 83.3%, with medication significantly superior to placebo (overall) and among nonresponders switched to CBT. Mixed-models analyses of binge-eating frequency revealed significant time effects, but BWL (standard) and stepped care did not differ; within stepped care, medication was significantly superior to placebo and among nonresponders switched to CBT. Mixed models revealed significant weight loss, but BWL (standard; 5.1% weight-loss) and stepped care (5.8% weight-loss) did not differ; within stepped care (range = 0.4% to 8.8% weight-loss), medication was significantly superior to placebo and among both responders continued on BWL and nonresponders switched to CBT. In summary, BWL (standard) and adaptive stepped-care treatments produced robust improvements in binge eating and weight loss in patients with BED/obesity. Within adaptive stepped care, weight-loss medication enhanced outcomes for BED/obesity. Implications for clinical practice and future adaptive designs are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Reasons for non-response and recommendations for optimal outpatient treatment of bulimia nervosa: A survey on German expert therapists' views

Objectives: Remission rates after treatment for bulimia nervosa can be considered insufficient. The study aimed to explore the perspective of expert psychotherapists on possible reasons for non-response and recommendations for an optimized treatment. Methods: Experts filled in a questionnaire that comprised questions about possible reasons for low remission rates as well as ratings of interventions suggested for different treatment phases and subgroups of patients. Results: 56 experienced therapists could be included in the survey. Ambivalence of patients, insufficient training of therapists and heterogeneity of the patient group were most often rated as possible reasons for insufficient outcomes. For optimized treatment, therapists recommended a combination of cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic techniques, depending on treatment phase and patient characteristics. Conclusions: Further research should examine, if a more specific training of therapists, a more integrative approach and flexible adaptations of interventions to patients' characteristics are effective strategies to improve outcome.

Mentalization-based treatment and its evidence-base status: A systematic literature review

PURPOSE

This study reviewed the evidence-base status of mentalization-based treatment (MBT), its quality, strengths, and limitations. The aim was to pave the way for further MBT research.

METHOD

An electronic database and reference lists search identified MBT outcome papers, and these were systematically reviewed. The quality of the studies and the risk of bias were determined using two validated checklist tools.

RESULTS

Twenty-three studies were included in the review. This included nine randomized controlled trials, seven uncontrolled pre- and post-effectiveness studies, three retrospective cohort studies, two uncontrolled randomized trials, and two case studies. The methodological quality of almost half of the papers was assessed as fair (43%), followed by good (34%), poor (17%), and excellent (4%) ratings. Nevertheless, the review identified risk of confounding bias across the majority of studies (60%) and fidelity to treatment was poorly reported in almost half of the studies (47%). Most of the studies focused on borderline personality disorder (BPD), showing positive clinical outcomes for this population but the evidence-base for other presentations was still developing. The treatment of adolescents who self-harm and at-risk mothers in substance abuse treatment showed particularly promising results, as these are client groups that have previously shown limited positive response to psychological interventions.

CONCLUSIONS

Mentalization-based treatment is a potentially effective method across a wide range of clinical presentations but further research should focus on increasing the quality and the quantity of the MBT evidence outside the treatment of BPD.

PRACTITIONER POINTS

MBT can be a particularly effective intervention for the treatment of adults with a diagnosis of BPD and of adolescents who self-harm and mothers enrolled in substance abuse treatments. MBT can be an effective intervention for depression and eating disorders but the evidence is currently limited. Professionals supporting mothers of children at risk may benefit from receiving training in the principles of MBT.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy for the Eating Disorders

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based treatment for bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder and is regarded as the first-line treatment for both eating disorders. An enhanced version of the treatment (CBT-E) appears more effective in treating patients with severe comorbidity. There is less evidence that CBT is effective for the treatment of anorexia nervosa. Evidence suggests that CBT-E is no more effective than specialist care involving regular medical follow-up and supportive psychotherapy in the persistent adult form of anorexia nervosa (AN). Early studies suggest that CBT-E may be useful in treating the adolescent form of AN.

Family-based treatment: Where are we and where should we be going to improve recovery in child and adolescent eating disorders

OBJECTIVE

Family therapy has long been advocated as an effective intervention for eating disorders. A specific form of family therapy, one that utilizes family resources, has proven especially effective for adolescents with anorexia or bulimia nervosa (AN and BN). First developed in London, a behaviorally focused adaptation, called family-based treatment (FBT), has been manualized and systematically studied in six randomized clinical trials for adolescent AN and two for adolescent BN.

METHOD

This Commentary focuses on manualized FBT; what we know, what we do not know (yet), and what we hope for.

RESULTS

We do know that efficacy data for FBT, especially adolescent AN, are quite robust, even though remission rates remain elusive for more than half of all cases. While preliminary, moderators of FBT for adolescent AN have been identified and could aid us in determining the most (or least) responsive patient groups. And weight gain (∼2.5kg) by week four has been confirmed as an early predictor of remission at end-of-treatment. What we do not know, yet, is whether specific adaptations to manualized FBT will confer improved remission rates.

DISCUSSION

Finally, and in terms of what is hoped for, we highlight the promise of improved access, dissemination, and implementation of FBT.

Statistical design and analysis in trials of proportionate interventions: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

In proportionate or adaptive interventions, the dose or intensity can be adjusted based on individual need at predefined decision stages during the delivery of the intervention. The development of such interventions may require an evaluation of the effectiveness of the individual stages in addition to the whole intervention. However, evaluating individual stages of an intervention has various challenges, particularly the statistical design and analysis. This review aimed to identify the use of trials of proportionate interventions and how they are being designed and analysed in current practice.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, Web of Science and PsycINFO for articles published between 2010 and 2015 inclusive. We considered trials of proportionate interventions in all fields of research. For each trial, its aims, design and analysis were extracted. The data synthesis was conducted using summary statistics and a narrative format.

RESULTS

Our review identified 44 proportionate intervention trials, comprising 28 trial results, 13 protocols and three secondary analyses. These were mostly described as stepped care (n=37) and mainly focussed on mental health research (n=30). The other studies were aimed at finding an optimal adaptive treatment strategy (n=7) in a variety of therapeutic areas. Further terminology used included adaptive intervention, staged intervention, sequentially multiple assignment trial or a two-phase design. The median number of decision stages in the interventions was two and only one study explicitly evaluated the effect of the individual stages.

CONCLUSIONS

Trials of proportionate staged interventions are being used predominantly within the mental health field. However, few studies consider the different stages of the interventions, either at the design or the analysis phase, and how they may interact with one another. There is a need for further guidance on the design, analyses and reporting across trials of proportionate interventions.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Prospero, CRD42016033781. Registered on 2 February 2016.

A Randomized Trial of Virtual Reality-Based Cue Exposure Second-Level Therapy and Cognitive Behavior Second-Level Therapy for Bulimia Nervosa and Binge-Eating Disorder: Outcome at Six-Month Followup

This article reviews the 6-month followup data of a randomized, multicenter, parallel-group study conducted at five clinical sites in three European cities, which compared two second-level treatments for bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED): virtual reality-based cue exposure therapy (VR-CET) versus additional cognitive behavioral therapy (A-CBT). Post-treatment outcomes of this study were previously published and details of its design can be found at clinicaltrials.gov (identifier: NCT02237300). This article focuses on the evolution of symptoms assessed after 6 months of followup in a subgroup of 58 patients from the original study. In this study 64 patients with eating disorders (EDs) (35 with BN and 29 with BED), who still showed active episodes of binge eating by the end of a structured CBT program (first-level treatment), were randomly assigned to one of two second-level treatments (A-CBT or VR-CET). Frequency of binge and purge episodes, and attitudinal features of binge-related EDs (bulimia, drive for thinness, and body dissatisfaction) were assessed before starting the second-level treatment (n = 64), at the end (n = 64), and at 6-month followup (n = 58). Mixed between-within subject analyses of variance were used to compare outcomes of both second-level treatments over time. Although both treatment conditions showed statistically significant improvements at the end and after 6-month followup, obtained reductions were greater after VR-CET, regarding binge and purge episodes, as well as the decrease of self-reported tendency to engage in overeating episodes. Accordingly, abstinence from binge episodes were higher in VR-CET than A-CBT at followup (70 percent vs. 26 percent, respectively; χ² = 11.711, p = 0.001). These results provide further support for the use of VR-CET as an effective second-level intervention for BN and BED treatment-resistant patients.

Moderators of Treatment Effects of a Video-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Comorbid With Cancer

PURPOSE

To assess the moderating role of demographic and clinical variables on the efficacy of a video-based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (VCBT-I) among breast cancer patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

As part of a randomized controlled trial, 80 women received VCBT-I.

RESULTS

Patients with a more advanced breast cancer were less likely to show reductions on the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and increased sleep efficiency at posttreatment. Patients using an antidepressant medication showed a larger reduction of ISI scores and a higher rate of insomnia remission. Remission of insomnia was also significantly more likely in individuals with a higher annual income. When using a multivariate binary classification tree analysis, the best and unique predictor of insomnia remission was having a less severe baseline ISI score.

CONCLUSION

Although efficacious in general, VCBT-I does not appear to be an optimal format for everybody.

Using internet-based self-help to bridge waiting time for face-to-face outpatient treatment for Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder and related disorders: Study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Eating disorders are serious conditions associated with an impaired health-related quality of life and increased healthcare utilization and costs. Despite the existence of evidence-based treatments, access to treatment is often delayed due to insufficient health care resources. Internet-based self-help interventions may have the potential to successfully bridge waiting time for face-to-face outpatient treatment and, thus, contribute to overcoming treatment gaps. However, little is known about the feasibility of implementing such interventions into routine healthcare. The aim of this study is to analyze the effects and feasibility of an Internet-based self-help intervention (everyBody Plus) specifically designed for patients with Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder and other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED) on a waiting list for outpatient face-to-face treatment. The aim of this paper is to describe the study protocol.

METHODS

A multi-country randomized controlled trial will be conducted in Germany and the UK. N = 275 female patients awaiting outpatient treatment will be randomly allocated either to the guided online self-help intervention "everyBody Plus" or a waitlist control group condition without access to the intervention. everyBody Plus comprises eight weekly sessions that cover topics related to eating and exercise patterns, coping with negative emotions and stress as well as improving body image. Participants will receive weekly individualized feedback based on their self-monitoring and journal entries. Assessments will take place at baseline, post-intervention as well as at 6- and 12-months follow up. In addition, all participants will be asked to monitor core eating disorder symptoms weekly to provide data on the primary outcome. The primary outcome will be number of weeks after randomization until a patient achieves a clinically relevant improvement in core symptoms (BMI, binge eating, compensatory behaviors) for the first time. Secondary outcomes include frequency of core symptoms and eating disorder related attitudes and behaviors, as well as associated psychopathology. Additional secondary outcomes will be the participating therapists' confidence in treating eating disorders as well as perceived benefits of everyBody Plus for patients.

DISCUSSION

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first randomized controlled trial examining the effects of Internet-based self-help for outpatients with eating disorders awaiting face-to-face outpatient treatment. If proven to be effective and successfully implemented, Internet-based self-help programs might be used as a first step of treatment within a stepped-care approach, thus reducing burden and cost for both patients and health care providers.

Validity and clinical utility of the DSM-5 severity specifier for bulimia nervosa: results from a multisite sample of patients who received evidence-based treatment

A new "severity specifier" for bulimia nervosa (BN), based on the frequency of inappropriate weight compensatory behaviours (IWCBs), was added to the DSM-5 as a means of documenting heterogeneity and variability in the severity of the disorder. Yet, evidence for its validity in clinical populations, including prognostic significance for treatment outcome, is currently lacking. Existing data from 281 treatment-seeking patients with DSM-5 BN, who received the best available treatment for their disorder (manual-based cognitive behavioural therapy; CBT) in an outpatient setting, were re-analysed to examine whether these patients subgrouped based on the DSM-5 severity levels would show meaningful and consistent differences on (a) a range of clinical variables assessed at pre-treatment and (b) post-treatment abstinence from IWCBs. Results highlight that the mild, moderate, severe, and extreme severity groups were statistically distinguishable on 22 variables assessed at pre-treatment regarding eating disorder pathological features, maintenance factors of BN, associated (current) and lifetime psychopathology, social maladjustment and illness-specific functional impairment, and abstinence outcome. Mood intolerance, a maintenance factor of BN but external to eating disorder pathological features (typically addressed within CBT), emerged as the primary clinical variable distinguishing the severity groups showing a differential treatment response. Overall, the findings speak to the concurrent and predictive validity of the new DSM-5 severity criterion for BN and are important because a common benchmark informing patients, clinicians, and researchers about severity of the disorder and allowing severity fluctuation and patient's progress to be tracked does not exist so far. Implications for future research are outlined.

Evolution of cognitive-behavioral therapy for eating disorders

The evolution of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for the treatment of bulimic disorders is described in this review. The impacts of successive attempts to enhance CBT such as the addition of exposure and response prevention; the development of enhanced CBT; and broadening the treatment from bulimia nervosa to binge eating disorder are considered. In addition to developing advanced forms of CBT, shortening treatment to guided self-help was the first step in broadening access to treatment. The use of technology such as computer-based therapy and more recently the Internet, promises further broadening of access to self-help and to therapist guided treatment. Controlled studies in this area are reviewed, and the balance of risks and benefits that accompany the use of technology and lessened therapist input are considered. Looking into the future, more sophisticated forms of treatment delivered as mobile applications ("apps") may lead to more personalized and efficacious treatments for bulimic disorders, thus enhancing the delivery of treatments for eating disorders.

Web-Based Aftercare for Women With Bulimia Nervosa Following Inpatient Treatment: Randomized Controlled Efficacy Trial

Background

Relapse rates in bulimia nervosa (BN) are high even after successful treatment, but patients often hesitate to take up further treatment. An easily accessible program might help maintain treatment gains. Encouraged by the effects of Web-based eating disorder prevention programs, we developed a manualized, Web-based aftercare program (IN@) for women with BN following inpatient treatment.

Objective

The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of the web-based guided, 9-month, cognitive-behavioral aftercare program IN@ for women with BN following inpatient treatment.

Methods

We conducted a randomized controlled efficacy trial in 253 women with DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition) BN and compared the results of IN@ with treatment as usual (TAU). Assessments were carried out at hospital admission (T0), hospital discharge/baseline (T1), postintervention (T2; 9 months after baseline), 9-month follow-up (T3; 18 months after baseline). The primary outcome, abstinence from binge eating and compensatory behaviors during the 2 months preceding T2, was analyzed by intention to treat, using logistic regression analyses. Frequencies of binge eating and vomiting episodes, and episodes of all compensatory behaviors were analyzed using mixed effects models.

Results

At T2, data from 167 women were available. There were no significant differences in abstinence rates between the TAU group (n=24, 18.9%) and the IN@ group (n=27, 21.4%; odds ratio, OR=1.29; P=.44). The frequency of vomiting episodes in the IN@ group was significantly (46%) lower than in the TAU group (P=.003). Moderator analyses revealed that both at T2 and T3, women of the intervention group who still reported binge eating and compensatory behaviors after inpatient treatment benefited from IN@, whereas women who were already abstinent after the inpatient treatment did not (P=.004; P=.002). Additional treatment utilization was high in both groups between baseline and follow-up.

Conclusions

Overall, data from this study suggest moderate effects of IN@. High rates of outpatient treatment utilization after inpatient treatment may have obscured potential intervention effects on abstinence. An aftercare intervention might be more beneficial as part of a stepped-care approach.

Trial Registration

International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 08870215; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN08870215 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6soA5bIit)

Parental guided self-help family based treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa: A feasibility study

OBJECTIVE

Family-based treatment (FBT) is an evidence-based treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa (AN), but many families cannot access it. This study evaluated feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary treatment effects of a parental guided self-help (GSH) version of FBT for adolescent AN.

METHOD

This was a case-series design. Parents of medically stable adolescents (11-18 years) with DSM-5 AN were recruited over 12 months. Parents received online training in parental GSH FBT and 12 20-30 min GSH sessions by phone or online over 6 months. Recruitment, dropout, changes in weight, and eating-related psychopathology were assessed. Analyses used mixed modeling that included all data for all participants.

RESULTS

Of the 19 families that participated, most were white (94%) and from intact families (88%). Baseline median BMI (mBMI) percent was 85.01% (SD = 4.31). Participants' mBMI percent increased to 97.31% (SD ± 7.48) at the end of treatment (EOT) (ES = 2.06; CI= 0.13-3.99). Eating-related psychopathology improved by EOT (ES = 0.58; CI=.04-1.21). Dropout rate was 21% during treatment and 33% during follow-up.

DISCUSSION

Parental GSH-FBT is feasible and acceptable to families willing to undertake online treatment. Follow-up data was only available for nine families (47%); thus further systematic evaluation is required before reaching conclusions about the efficacy of this approach.

A Randomised Controlled Comparison of Second-Level Treatment Approaches for Treatment-Resistant Adults with Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder: Assessing the Benefits of Virtual Reality Cue Exposure Therapy

A question that arises from the literature on therapy is whether second-level treatment is effective for patients with recurrent binge eating who fail first-level treatment. It has been shown that subjects who do not stop binge eating after an initial structured cognitive-behavioural treatment (CBT) programme benefit from additional CBT (A-CBT) sessions; however, it has been suggested that these resistant patients would benefit even more from cue exposure therapy (CET) targeting features associated with poor response (e.g. urge to binge in response to a cue and anxiety experienced in the presence of binge-related cues). We assessed the effectiveness of virtual reality-CET as a second-level treatment strategy for 64 patients with bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder who had been treated with limited results after using a structured CBT programme, in comparison with A-CBT. The significant differences observed between the two groups at post-treatment in dimensional (behavioural and attitudinal features, anxiety, food craving) and categorical (abstinence rates) outcomes highlighted the superiority of virtual reality-CET over A-CBT. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Treating Eating Disorders at Higher Levels of Care: Overview and Challenges

Higher levels of care (HLC)-including inpatient hospitalization, residential treatment, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient treatment-are frequently utilized within routine care for eating disorders. Despite widespread use, there is limited research evaluating the efficacy of HLC, as well as clinical issues related to care in these settings. This review describes the different levels of care for eating disorders and briefly reviews the most up-to-date guidelines and research regarding how to choose a level of care. In addition, as HLC approaches for ED continue to be developed and refined, pragmatic and conceptual challenges have emerged that provide barriers to clinical efficacy and the execution of high-quality treatment research. This review includes a discussion of various issues specific to HLC, as well as a summary of recent literature addressing them.

Cognitive behavior therapy for eating disorders versus normalization of eating behavior

We examine the science and evidence supporting cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for the treatment of bulimia nervosa and other eating disorders. Recent trials focusing on the abnormal cognitive and emotional aspects of bulimia have reported a remission rate of about 45%, and a relapse rate of about 30% within one year. However, an early CBT trial that emphasized the normalization of eating behavior had a better outcome than treatment that focused on cognitive intervention. In support of this finding, another treatment, that restores a normal eating behavior using mealtime feedback, has an estimated remission rate of about 75% and a relapse rate of about 10% over five years. Moreover, when eating behavior was normalized, cognitive and emotional abnormalities were resolved at remission without cognitive therapy. The critical aspect of the CBT treatment of bulimia nervosa therefore may actually have been the normalization of eating behavior.

Addressing critical gaps in the treatment of eating disorders

Remarkable progress has been made in developing psychosocial interventions for eating disorders and other mental disorders. Two priorities in providing treatment consist of addressing the research-practice gap and the treatment gap. The research-practice gap pertains to the dissemination of evidence-based treatments from controlled settings to routine clinical care. Closing the gap between what is known about effective treatment and what is actually provided to patients who receive care is crucial in improving mental health care, particularly for conditions such as eating disorders. The treatment gap pertains to extending treatments in ways that will reach the large number of people in need of clinical care who currently receive nothing. Currently, in the United States (and worldwide), the vast majority of individuals in need of mental health services for eating disorders and other mental health problems do not receive treatment. This article discusses the approaches required to better ensure: (1) that more people who are receiving treatment obtain high-quality, evidence-based care, using such strategies as train-the-trainer, web-centered training, best-buy interventions, electronic support tools, higher-level support and policy; and (2) that a higher proportion of those who are currently underserved receive treatment, using such strategies as task shifting and disruptive innovations, including treatment delivery via telemedicine, the Internet, and mobile apps.

An adaptive randomized trial of dialectical behavior therapy and cognitive behavior therapy for binge-eating

BACKGROUND

Early weak treatment response is one of the few trans-diagnostic, treatment-agnostic predictors of poor outcome following a full treatment course. We sought to improve the outcome of clients with weak initial response to guided self-help cognitive behavior therapy (GSH).

METHOD

One hundred and nine women with binge-eating disorder (BED) or bulimia nervosa (BN) (DSM-IV-TR) received 4 weeks of GSH. Based on their response, they were grouped into: (1) early strong responders who continued GSH (cGSH), and early weak responders randomized to (2) dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), or (3) individual and additional group cognitive behavior therapy (CBT+).

RESULTS

Baseline objective binge-eating-day (OBD) frequency was similar between DBT, CBT+ and cGSH. During treatment, OBD frequency reduction was significantly slower in DBT and CBT+ relative to cGSH. Relative to cGSH, OBD frequency was significantly greater at the end of DBT (d = 0.27) and CBT+ (d = 0.31) although these effects were small and within-treatment effects from baseline were large (d = 1.41, 0.95, 1.11, respectively). OBD improvements significantly diminished in all groups during 12 months follow-up but were significantly better sustained in DBT relative to cGSH (d = -0.43). At 6- and 12-month follow-up assessments, DBT, CBT and cGSH did not differ in OBD.

CONCLUSIONS

Early weak response to GSH may be overcome by additional intensive treatment. Evidence was insufficient to support superiority of either DBT or CBT+ for early weak responders relative to early strong responders in cGSH; both were helpful. Future studies using adaptive designs are needed to assess the use of early response to efficiently deliver care to large heterogeneous client groups.

The NOURISHED randomised controlled trial comparing mentalisation-based treatment for eating disorders (MBT-ED) with specialist supportive clinical management (SSCM-ED) for patients with eating disorders and symptoms of borderline personality disorder

Background

In this multi-centre randomized controlled trial (RCT) we compared modified mentalisation-based treatment (MBT-ED) to specialist supportive clinical management (SSCM-ED) in patients with eating disorders (EDs) and borderline personality disorder symptoms (BPD). This group of patients presents complex challenges to clinical services, and a treatment which addresses their multiple problems has the potential to improve outcome. MBT has been shown to be effective in improving outcome in patients with BPD, but its use has not been reported in ED.

Methods

Sixty-eight eligible participants were randomised to MBT-ED or SSCM-ED. The primary outcome measure was the global score on the Eating Disorder Examination. Secondary outcomes included measures of BPD symptoms (the Zanarini Rating Scale for Borderline Personality Disorder), general psychiatric state, quality of life and service utilisation. Participants were assessed at baseline and at 6, 12 and 18 months after randomisation. Analysis was performed using linear mixed models.

Results

Only 15 participants (22 %) completed the 18 month follow-up. Early drop-out occurred significantly more in the SSCM-ED group. Drop-out did not vary with treatment model later in therapy and was sometimes attributed to participants moving away. There was higher drop--out amongst smokers and those with higher neuroticism scores. 47.1 % of participants in the MBT-ED arm and 37.1 % in the SSCM-ED arm attended at least 50 % of therapy sessions offered.

Amongst those remaining in the trial, at 12 and 18 months MBT-ED was associated with a greater reduction in Shape Concern and Weight Concern in the Eating Disorder Examination compared to SSCM-ED. At 6, 12 and 18 months there was a decline of ED and BPD symptoms in both groups combined.

Ten participants were reported as having had adverse events during the trial, mostly self-harm, and there was one death, attributed as ’unexplained’ by the coroner.

Conclusions

The high drop-out rate made interpretation of the results difficult. Greater involvement of research staff in clinical management might have improved compliance with both therapy and research assessment. MBT-ED may have had an impact on core body image psychopathology.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials: ISRCTN51304415. Registered on 19 April 2011.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-016-1606-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The Efficacy and Cost-Effectiveness of Stepped Care Prevention and Treatment for Depressive and/or Anxiety Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Stepped care is an increasingly popular treatment model for common mental health disorders, given the large discrepancy between the demand and supply of healthcare service available. In this review, we aim to compare the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of stepped care prevention and treatment with care-as-usual (CAU) or waiting-list control for depressive and/or anxiety disorders. 5 databases were utilized from its earliest available records up until April 2015. 10 randomized controlled trials were included in this review, of which 6 examined stepped care prevention and 4 examined stepped care treatment, specifically including ones regarding depressive and/or anxiety disorders. Only trials with self-help as a treatment component were included. Results showed stepped care treatment revealed a significantly better performance than CAU in reducing anxiety symptoms, and the treatment response rate of anxiety disorders was significantly higher in stepped care treatment than in CAU. No significant difference was found between stepped care prevention/treatment and CAU in preventing anxiety and/or depressive disorders and improving depressive symptoms. In conclusion, stepped care model appeared to be better than CAU in treating anxiety disorders. The model has the potential to reduce the burden on existing resources in mental health and increase the reach and availability of service.

Web-Based Fully Automated Self-Help With Different Levels of Therapist Support for Individuals With Eating Disorder Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background

Despite the disabling nature of eating disorders (EDs), many individuals with ED symptoms do not receive appropriate mental health care. Internet-based interventions have potential to reduce the unmet needs by providing easily accessible health care services.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an Internet-based intervention for individuals with ED symptoms, called “Featback.” In addition, the added value of different intensities of therapist support was investigated.

Methods

Participants (N=354) were aged 16 years or older with self-reported ED symptoms, including symptoms of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Participants were recruited via the website of Featback and the website of a Dutch pro-recovery–focused e-community for young women with ED problems. Participants were randomized to: (1) Featback, consisting of psychoeducation and a fully automated self-monitoring and feedback system, (2) Featback supplemented with low-intensity (weekly) digital therapist support, (3) Featback supplemented with high-intensity (3 times a week) digital therapist support, and (4) a waiting list control condition. Internet-administered self-report questionnaires were completed at baseline, post-intervention (ie, 8 weeks after baseline), and at 3- and 6-month follow-up. The primary outcome measure was ED psychopathology. Secondary outcome measures were symptoms of depression and anxiety, perseverative thinking, and ED-related quality of life. Statistical analyses were conducted according to an intent-to-treat approach using linear mixed models.

Results

The 3 Featback conditions were superior to a waiting list in reducing bulimic psychopathology (d=−0.16, 95% confidence interval (CI)=−0.31 to −0.01), symptoms of depression and anxiety (d=−0.28, 95% CI=−0.45 to −0.11), and perseverative thinking (d=−0.28, 95% CI=−0.45 to −0.11). No added value of therapist support was found in terms of symptom reduction although participants who received therapist support were significantly more satisfied with the intervention than those who did not receive supplemental therapist support. No significant differences between the Featback conditions supplemented with low- and high-intensity therapist support were found regarding the effectiveness and satisfaction with the intervention.

Conclusions

The fully automated Internet-based self-monitoring and feedback intervention Featback was effective in reducing ED and comorbid psychopathology. Supplemental therapist support enhanced satisfaction with the intervention but did not increase its effectiveness. Automated interventions such as Featback can provide widely disseminable and easily accessible care. Such interventions could be incorporated within a stepped-care approach in the treatment of EDs and help to bridge the gap between mental disorders and mental health care services.

Trial Registration

Netherlands Trial Registry: NTR3646; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/ rctview.asp?TC=3646 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6fgHTGKHE)

Effectiveness of individualized, integrative outpatient treatment for females with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa

The effectiveness of an individualized outpatient program was investigated in the treatment of bulimia nervosa (BN) and anorexia nervosa (AN). Participants included 151 females who received outpatient eating disorder treatment in the partial hospitalization program, the intensive outpatient program, or a combination of the two programs. Outcome measures included the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI-2), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), frequency of binge eating and purging, and mean body weight. Findings included significant increases in weight for the AN group, reductions in binge eating frequency for the BN group, and reductions in EDI-2 and BDI-II scores and purging frequency for both groups. This study provides preliminary support for the efficacy of a multimodal program for the treatment of both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

E-Health Interventions for Eating Disorders: Emerging Findings, Issues, and Opportunities

This study aimed to review the emerging findings regarding E-health interventions for eating disorders and to critically discuss emerging issues as well as challenges for future research. Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy and guided self-help have demonstrated promising results in terms of reducing eating disorder psychopathology. Emerging findings also suggest that E-health interventions reach an underserved population and improve access to care. The use of smartphone applications is becoming increasingly popular and has much potential although their clinical utility and effectiveness is presently unknown and requires investigation. Important challenges include the diagnostic process in E-health interventions, the optimization of E-health within existing health care models, and the investigation and implementation of blended care. More high-quality research is needed to bring the field forward and to determine the place for E-health in our health care service delivery systems.

Randomized Clinical Trial of Family-Based Treatment and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Adolescent Bulimia Nervosa

OBJECTIVE

There is a paucity of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) for adolescents with bulimia nervosa (BN). Prior studies suggest cognitive-behavioral therapy adapted for adolescents (CBT-A) and family-based treatment for adolescent bulimia nervosa (FBT-BN) could be effective for this patient population. The objective of this study was to compare the relative efficacy of these 2 specific therapies, FBT-BN and CBT-A. In addition, a smaller participant group was randomized to a nonspecific treatment (supportive psychotherapy [SPT]), whose data were to be used if there were no differences between FBT-BN and CBT-A at end of treatment.

METHOD

This 2-site (Chicago and Stanford) randomized controlled trial included 130 participants (aged 12-18 years) meeting DSM-IV criteria for BN or partial BN (binge eating and purging once or more per week for 6 months). Outcomes were assessed at baseline, end of treatment, and 6 and 12 months posttreatment. Treatments involved 18 outpatient sessions over 6 months. The primary outcome was defined as abstinence from binge eating and purging for 4 weeks before assessment, using the Eating Disorder Examination.

RESULTS

Participants in FBT-BN achieved higher abstinence rates than in CBT-A at end of treatment (39% versus 20%; p = .040, number needed to treat [NNT] = 5) and at 6-month follow-up (44% versus 25%; p = .030, NNT = 5). Abstinence rates between these 2 groups did not differ statistically at 12-month follow-up (49% versus 32%; p = .130, NNT = 6).

CONCLUSION

In this study, FBT-BN was more effective in promoting abstinence from binge eating and purging than CBT-A in adolescent BN at end of treatment and 6-month follow-up. By 12-month follow-up, there were no statistically significant differences between the 2 treatments.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Study of Treatment for Adolescents With Bulimia Nervosa; http://clinicaltrials.gov/; NCT00879151.

As terapias cognitivo-comportamentais no tratamento da bulimia nervosa: uma revisão

Objetivo Realizar uma revisão na literatura sobre a utilização da terapia cognitivo-comportamental (TCC) no tratamento da bulimia nervosa entre 2009 e 2013. Métodos Três bases de dados eletrônicas foram pesquisadas, considerando artigos em língua inglesa, espanhola e portuguesa. Resultados Após as análises e exclusão dos artigos, seguindo o método PRISMA, foram selecionados 20 artigos. Os artigos selecionados foram produzidos ou na Europa ou nos Estados Unidos, em língua inglesa. Os diagnósticos da amostra variaram de exclusivamente bulimia nervosa (60%) aos que incluíram pessoas com transtorno de compulsão alimentar (35%), além de diagnósticos mistos (5%). Os estudos foram, em sua maioria, realizados em mulheres adultas. A TCC, em sua abordagem clássica no consultório, foi utilizada em todos os artigos, ora utilizada individualmente, ora comparada com outras intervenções (internet, CD-ROM e autoajuda). Encontrou-se como resultado que a TCC diminui os sintomas de compulsão alimentar e de purgação, além de oferecer ganhos secundários aos participantes, como melhora de sintomas depressivos, de ansiedade e até mudanças na personalidade. As outras intervenções pesquisadas obtiveram bons resultados na modificação dos sintomas, demonstrando que há um novo caminho a ser galgado com essas novas formas de tratamento. Conclusão O tratamento da bulimia nervosa possui evidências suficientes para que seja realizado com a terapia cognitivo-comportamental. Além dela, intervenções psicoterápicas inovadoras baseadas na TCC clássica apresentam bons indicativos de eficácia. Futuras pesquisas sobre essas diferentes intervenções são necessárias.

Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with eating disorders

This Practice Parameter reviews evidence-based practices for the evaluation and treatment of eating disorders in children and adolescents. Where empirical support is limited, clinical consensus opinion is used to supplement systematic data review. The Parameter focuses on the phenomenology of eating disorders, comorbidity of eating disorders with other psychiatric and medical disorders, and treatment in children and adolescents. Because the database related to eating disorders in younger patients is limited, relevant literature drawn from adult studies is included in the discussion.

Impact of Self-Help Schema Therapy on Psychological Distress and Early Maladaptive Schemas: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Self-help cognitive behaviour therapy has been found helpful in treating anxiety and depression. Recent evidence suggests that self-help schema therapy may represent another treatment alternative. The present study aimed to provide a preliminary assessment of the efficacy of self-help schema therapy on psychological distress and early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) using a 6-week treatment protocol with minimal email contact. Method: Participants were recruited from the general population and randomly assigned to self-help schema therapy (n = 32) or a waitlist (n = 32). Intent-to-treat analyses and study completer analyses were conducted using repeated-measures analyses of variance (time × group). Results: Intent-to-treat analyses revealed that treatment produced a marginal improvement in distress, but no change in EMSs. Among study completers (n = 34), self-help schema therapy yielded large reductions in distress scores on the Outcome Questionnaire-45.2 (partial eta squared = .16). Compared to the waitlist, self-help schema therapy also produced a moderate decrease in EMSs (partial eta squared = .10). The majority of study completers showed reliable clinical change in distress and reported high levels of satisfaction with the intervention. Conclusion: Self-help schema therapy may be an effective treatment for those individuals who persist in treatment. Self-help schema therapy has the potential to help a large number of individuals who may not otherwise have access to services. More research is needed to determine variables associated with treatment adherence and successful outcome.

An Update on Evidence-Based Psychosocial Treatments for Eating Disorders in Children and Adolescents

Eating disorders are relatively common and serious disorders in adolescents. However, there are few controlled psychosocial intervention studies with this younger population. This review updates a previous Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology review published in 2008. The recommendations in this review were developed after searching the literature including PubMed/Medline and employing the relevant medical subject headings. In addition, the bibliographies of book chapters and treatment guideline articles were reviewed; last, colleagues were asked for suggested additional source materials. Psychosocial treatments examined include family therapy, individual therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, cognitive training, and dialectical behavior therapy. Using the most recent Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology methodological review criteria, family treatment-behavior (FT-B) is the only well-established treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa. Family treatment-systemic and insight oriented individual psychotherapy are probably efficacious treatments for adolescents with anorexia nervosa. There are no well-established treatments for adolescents with bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, or avoidant restrictive food intake disorder. Possibly efficacious psychosocial treatments for adolescent bulimia nervosa include FT-B and supportive individual therapy. Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy is a possibly efficacious treatment for binge eating disorder. Experimental treatments for adolescent eating disorders include enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, cognitive training, and interpersonal psychotherapy. FT-B is the only well-established treatment for adolescent eating disorders. Additional research examining treatment for eating disorders in youth is warranted.

Randomized controlled pilot trial of a novel dissonance-based group treatment for eating disorders

The authors conducted a pilot trial of a new dissonance-based group eating disorder treatment designed to be a cost-effective front-line transdiagnostic treatment that could be more widely disseminated than extant individual or family treatments that are more expensive and difficult to deliver. Young women with a DSM-5 eating disorder (N = 72) were randomized to an 8-week dissonance-based Counter Attitudinal Therapy group treatment or a usual care control condition, completing diagnostic interviews and questionnaires at pre, post, and 2-month follow-up. Intent-to-treat analyses revealed that intervention participants showed greater reductions in outcomes than usual care controls in a multivariate multilevel model (χ(2)[6] = 34.1, p < .001), producing large effects for thin-ideal internalization (d = .79), body dissatisfaction (d = 1.14), and blinded interview-assessed eating disorder symptoms (d = .95), and medium effects for dissonance regarding perpetuating the thin ideal (d = .65) and negative affect (d = .55). Midway through this pilot we refined engagement procedures, which was associated with increased effect sizes (e.g., the d for eating disorder symptoms increased from .51 to 2.30). This new group treatment produced large reductions in eating disorder symptoms, which is encouraging because it requires about 1/20th the therapist time necessary for extant individual and family treatments, and has the potential to provide a cost-effective and efficacious approach to reaching the majority of individuals with eating disorders who do not presently received treatment.

Group therapy for people with bulimia nervosa: systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Approximately 25% of people with bulimia nervosa (BN) who undertake therapy are treated in groups. National guidelines do not discriminate between group and individual therapy, yet each has potential advantages and disadvantages and it is unclear how their effects compare. We therefore evaluated how group therapy for BN compares with individual therapy, no treatment, or other therapies, in terms of remission from binges and binge frequency.

METHOD

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of group therapies for BN, following standard guidelines.

RESULTS

A total of 10 studies were included. Studies were generally small with unclear risk of bias. There was low-quality evidence of a clinically relevant advantage for group cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) over no treatment at therapy end. Remission was more likely with group CBT versus no treatment [relative risk (RR) 0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.62-0.96]. Mean weekly binges were lower with group CBT versus no treatment (2.9 v. 6.9, standardized mean difference = -0.56, 95% CI -0.96 to -0.15). One study provided low-quality evidence that group CBT was inferior compared with individual CBT to a clinically relevant degree for remission at therapy end (RR 1.24, 95% CI 1.03-1.50); there was insufficient evidence regarding frequency of binges.

CONCLUSIONS

Conclusions could only be reached for CBT. Low-quality evidence suggests that group CBT is effective compared with no treatment, but there was insufficient or very limited evidence about how group and individual CBT compared. The risk of bias and imprecise estimates of effect invite further research to refine and increase confidence in these findings.

Mapping the evidence for the prevention and treatment of eating disorders in young people

ABSTRACT

Eating disorders often develop during adolescence and young adulthood, and are associated with significant psychological and physical burden. Identifying evidence-based interventions is critical and there is need to take stock of the extant literature, to inform clinical practice regarding well-researched interventions and to direct future research agendas by identifying gaps in the evidence base.

AIM

To investigate and quantify the nature and distribution of existing high-quality research on the prevention and treatment of eating disorders in young people using evidence mapping methodology.

METHOD

A systematic search for prevention and treatment intervention studies in adolescents and young adults (12-25 years) was conducted using EMBASE, PSYCINFO and MEDLINE. Studies were screened and mapped according to disorder, intervention modality, stage of eating disorder and study design. Included studies were restricted to controlled trials and systematic reviews published since 1980.

RESULTS

The eating disorders evidence map included 197 trials and 22 systematic reviews. Prevention research was dominated by trials of psychoeducation (PE). Bulimia nervosa (BN) received the most attention in the treatment literature, with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and antidepressants the most common interventions. For anorexia nervosa (AN), family based therapy (FBT) was the most studied. Lacking were trials exploring treatments for binge eating disorder (BED) and eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS). Relapse prevention strategies were notably absent across the eating disorders.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite substantial literature devoted to the prevention and treatment of eating disorders in young people, the evidence base is not well established and significant gaps remain. For those identified as being at-risk, there is need for prevention research exploring strategies other than passive PE. Treatment interventions targeting BED and EDNOS are required, as are systematic reviews synthesising BN treatment trials (e.g., CBT, antidepressants). FBTs for AN require investigation against other validated psychological interventions, and the development of relapse prevention strategies is urgently required. By systematically identifying existing interventions for young people with eating disorders and exposing gaps in the current literature, the evidence map can inform researchers, funding bodies and policy makers as to the opportunities for future research.

Step one within stepped care trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for young children: a pilot study

This pilot study explored the preliminary efficacy, parent acceptability and economic cost of delivering Step One within Stepped Care Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (SC-TF-CBT). Nine young children ages 3-6 years and their parents participated in SC-TF-CBT. Eighty-three percent (5/6) of the children who completed Step One treatment and 55.6 % (5/9) of the intent-to-treat sample responded to Step One. One case relapsed at post-assessment. Treatment gains were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Generally, parents found Step One to be acceptable and were satisfied with treatment. At 3-month follow-up, the cost per unit improvement for posttraumatic stress symptoms and severity ranged from $27.65 to $131.33 for the responders and from $36.12 to $208.11 for the intent-to-treat sample. Further research on stepped care for young children is warranted to examine if this approach is more efficient, accessible and cost-effective than traditional therapy.