Psychological Treatment of Eating Disorders

Manual-based cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is presently the most effective treatment of bulimia nervosa. Its efficacy is limited, however. Different strategies for improving upon current manual-based CBT are discussed, including combining CBT with antidepressant medication, integrating CBT with alternative psychological therapies, and expanding the scope and flexibility of manual-based CBT. CBT is underutilized in clinical practice. Dissemination of evidence-based treatment is a priority. Research on anorexia nervosa is minimal. Effective treatments have yet to be developed, although the Maudsley method of family therapy has shown the most promise in the treatment of adolescents. The most commonly seen eating disorders in clinical practice are those classified as “eating disorder not otherwise specified.” With the exception of binge eating disorder (BED), however, they have been neglected by researchers. Several psychological therapies have been shown to be effective in treating BED. Controversy exists over whether treatment-specific effects have been identified. Whereas treatments have proved effective in eliminating binge eating and associated eating disorder psychopathology, achieving clinically significant weight loss remains a challenge.