Integrative time-limited group therapy for bulimia nervosa

A Substance Called Food: Long-Term Psychodynamic Group Treatment for Compulsive Overeating

Obesity has proven difficult to treat. Many approaches neglect to address the deep-rooted underlying psychological issues. This paper describes a psychodynamically oriented approach to treating compulsive overeating as an addiction. Common to all addictions is a compulsion to consume a substance or engage in a behavior, a preoccupation with using behavior and rituals, and a lifestyle marked by an inability to manage the behavior and its harmful consequences. The approach represents a shift away from primarily medical models of intervention to integrated models focusing on the psychological underpinnings of obesity. Long-term psychodynamic group psychotherapy is recommended as a primary treatment.

An analysis of matching cognitive-behavior therapy techniques to learning styles

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

To optimize the effectiveness of cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) for each individual patient, it is important to discern whether different intervention techniques may be differentially effective. One factor influencing the differential effectiveness of CBT intervention techniques may be the patient's preferred learning style, and whether this is 'matched' to the intervention.

METHOD

The current study uses a retrospective analysis to examine whether the impact of two common CBT interventions (thought records and behavioral experiments) is greater when the intervention is either matched or mismatched to the individual's learning style.

RESULTS

Results from this study give some indication that greater belief change is achieved when the intervention technique is matched to participants' learning style, than when intervention techniques are mismatched to learning style.

LIMITATIONS

Conclusions are limited by the retrospective nature of the analysis and the limited dose of the intervention in non-clinical participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that further investigation of the impact of matching the patient's learning style to CBT intervention techniques is warranted, using clinical samples with higher dose interventions.

[Group interpersonal psychotherapy: a review]

Interpersonal Psychotherapy was conceived as a psychotherapeutic approach to treating Depression, but has since now been broadly used to treat many other disorders. It has also recently been adapted to delivery in the group setting, with both advantages and disadvantages as other group psychotherapies. This adaptation, first used by Wilfley and colleagues, maintained the main features of IPT, i.e. the central role of the interpersonal focus and identification of one (or two) out of four problem interpersonal areas (Grief; Role Transition; Role Disputes; Interpersonal Deficits). It also kept the active role of the therapist and individual patient within the group. To date, G-IPT has been used for several diseases (Eating Disorders not Otherwise Specified, Bulimia Nervosa, Depressive Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) and several populations (Adolescents, Older People, Pregnant Women or "New-Mothers," Substance-abusing Female Prisoners). Although the overall quality of most of outcome studies is to date quite poor, the review of the current state of knowledge shows the G-IPT may be helpful and present a number of advantages to treat different psychiatric disorders in several populations of patients.

A self psychological and relational approach to group therapy for university students with bulimia

Bulimia is a complex disorder that can significantly interfere with psychosocial functioning. It is a particularly significant problem among adolescents and young women in college and university settings. The preponderance of literature on group therapeutic approaches for this disorder is from a cognitive-behavioral perspective. In this paper, we present a psychodynamic group therapy approach for female university students, informed specifically by self psychological and relational frameworks. Through clinical illustrations, we demonstrate how the group provides selfobject experiences, including mirroring, idealizing, twinship, and adversarial experiences, and how the group becomes the arena through which group members can experience, express, and understand emotions. The interpersonal context of the group uniquely provides opportunities for members to examine their bulimic symptoms in relation to interactions that take place outside of or within the group.

Changes in eating behaviour following group therapy for women who binge eat: a pilot study

Survey research is demonstrating that binge eating and compulsive eating may be a significant problem in the obese population. There is higher incidence of binge eating among women, associated with subjective distress and poor prognosis for weight control. Despite attendant health risks, researched clinical responses have not been developed. A before and after uncontrolled pilot study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of group therapy for women who binge eat and compulsively eat. Participants attended a weekly integrative therapy group for 6 months. Measurements before and after the group intervention were taken using the Binge Eating Scale and Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation inventories. Before and after interviews were thematically analysed for changes in eating behaviour. Following the group intervention, all participants demonstrated changes in eating behaviour measured by the Binge Eating Scale, the overall effect from baseline to 1 year demonstrates statistical significance. Qualitative data revealed four categories that underpinned reduction in binge eating: changes in dichotomous thinking, awareness of eating behaviour, detachment from food and dietary changes. An integrative model of group therapy warrants further research and refinement for this population, a group protocol for nurses working in the field of obesity and eating disorders could be developed.