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Enhanced cognitive behaviour therapy for adolescents with anorexia nervosa: An alternative to family therapy?

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2012.09.008Get rights and content
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Abstract

A specific form of family therapy (family-based treatment) is the leading treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa. As this treatment has certain limitations, alternative approaches are needed. “Enhanced” cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT-E) is a potential candidate given its utility as a treatment for adults with eating disorder psychopathology. The aim of the present study was to establish, in a representative cohort of patients with marked anorexia nervosa, the immediate and longer term outcome following CBT-E. Forty-nine adolescent patients were recruited from consecutive referrals to a community-based eating disorder clinic. Each was offered 40 sessions of CBT-E over 40 weeks from a single therapist. Two-thirds completed the full treatment with no additional input. In these patients there was a substantial increase in weight together with a marked decrease in eating disorder psychopathology. Over the 60-week post-treatment follow-up period there was little change despite minimal subsequent treatment. These findings suggest that CBT-E may prove to be a cost-effective alternative to family-based treatment.

Highlights

► CBT-E is designed to address eating disorder psychopathology in adults. ► The present findings show that CBT-E can also be used with adolescents. ► Almost two-thirds of the adolescent patients completed CBT-E. ► Among the completers there was a substantial, and well maintained, response. ► CBT-E may be a cost-effective alternative to family-based treatment.

Keywords

Anorexia nervosa
Treatment
Cognitive behaviour therapy
Eating disorder
Family therapy

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