Comparing a 5-month trial of enhanced cognitive behavioural therapy to a 24-month trial of psychoanalytic psychotherapy for the treatment of bulimia nervosa

摘要

Bulimia nervosa is characterised by binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviours in the context of severe weight and/or shape concern. Despite empirical evidence supporting the efficacy of several psychological treatments for bulimia nervosa (eg, cognitive behaviour therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy), these treatments are characterised by variable remission rates, high drop-out rates, high relapse rates and variable levels of acceptability and implementation by clinicians. Thus, additional treatments for bulimia nervosa are needed. It has been hypothesised that long-term psychoanalytic psychotherapy may be one promising approach to treating this disorder given its emphasis on increasing distress tolerance and insight into the functionality of symptoms. However, long-term psychoanalytic psychotherapy has not previously been studied for the treatment of bulimia nervosa.