Eating
Disorder Treatment
While
researching the topic, eating disorders, I was somewhat astonished at the range
of information. Although this is a
prevalent issue in modern society, I have never dealt with such issues first or
second-hand. Hence, I was in a sense
oblivious to the quantity of treatment options available. Traditionally, cognitive behavioral therapy
(CBT) has been the foremost methodology of choice. Also, when applicable, family therapy may be
utilized, particularly in cases involving children. Additionally, in conjunction to therapy, medication
may be prescribed in order to help clients cope with depression (Butcher,
Mineka, & Hooley, 2010). However,
innovative means of treating eating disorders are emerging. With a growing populace of men and boys along
with enhanced technology, diagnosis and treatment are evolving. In effort to explicate such phenomena, the
following reviews have been provided.
To
begin with, eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa are
often dealt with through the implementation of CBT. A particular research article, What cognitive behavioral techniques do
therapists report using when delivering cognitive behavioral therapy for the
eating disorders? (2012), utilized an empirical study conducted by the Loughborough
University Ethics Committee (Institutional Review Board). The committee examined 100 psychological
therapists (85 women, 15 men) administering psychiatric aid to clients with
eating disorders. From these, 80
clinicians (69 women, 11 men) employing CBT techniques were designated. Consequently, an online survey was conducted
to inspect the frequency of such techniques.
The results indicate that although CBT practices were utilized
approximately 50% of clinicians refrained from routinely designating a single technique. Thus, no specific procedure was regularly employed. Furthermore, traditional CBT methods were often
used in conjunction with pre-therapy motivational tools. Additionally, although most clinicians claim
to utilize CBT, they implemented an assortment of applicable supplementary
means as well. Hence, “clinicians and
patients should not assume that the use of the label CBT is clearly
related to what clinicians do in practice” (Waller, Stringer, & Meyer,
2012, p. 174). Researchers speculate
that this occurrence is due to the fact that practitioners desire to maintain a
pragmatic status for organizational or insurance purposes or practitioners are
accustomed to the label and merely refrain from altering said label as their
practice evolves (Waller et al., 2012).
Another
article, “Technology-Enhanced
Maintenance of Treatment Gains in Eating Disorders: Efficacy of an Intervention
Delivered via Text Messaging” (2012), considers the initial usage of CBT,
yet examines the need for follow-up, second level interventions as well. Often, pharmacological methods are employed
at this stage. However, in many
instances clients fail to follow through with the medication. Furthermore, therapeutic and medicinal
methods in general are not cost efficient.
Therefore, this study focuses on the effectiveness of text messaging as
an additional form of treatment to enhance and maintain favorable outcomes and
prevent relapse. Researchers assessed 184 clients upon completion of 20 CBT
sessions at AHG Psychosomatic Hospital Bad Pyrmont, Germany. Of these, 19 were omitted for the following
reasons: not meeting inclusion criteria (5), refusal to participate (10), or
other reasons (4). Next, the field of
165 were separated into a control group (83 participants), receiving no in-house
secondary intervention, and the intervention group (82 participants), receiving
SMS text messages. The text messaging
program required clients to utilize a standardized format to weekly report on 3
major bulimic symptoms, body dissatisfaction, frequency of binge eating, and
frequency of compensatory behaviors over a period of 16 weeks. Impairment levels and assessment
modifications were observed.
Accordingly, research assistants provided suggestive CBT feedback in
response. It should be duly noted that 4
participants in the SMS intervention group did not send any texts and 11 others
failed to follow-up after the second week, hence 71 active participants
remained throughout the process. In
addition, nearly an equal number of participants in the control group (36) and
the intervention group (38) independently sought outpatient treatment. The most notable variance of the 2 groups was
the rate of remission, indicating a decrease of bulimic symptoms or
relapse. Overall, participants in the
intervention group which received outpatient care held a 63.2% remission rate
as opposed to 55.6% of control group participants with outpatient care. Additionally, 54.5% of the intervention group
without outpatient care had a positive remission rate as opposed to only 30.3%
of the control group without outpatient care.
Therefore, one may conclude that text messaging, particularly in
conjunction with outpatient care, provides a greater likelihood of long term
success among bulimic patients (Bauer, Okon, Meermann, & Kordy,
2012).
Now, in
consideration of an increased occurrence of men and boys plagued by eating
disorders, researchers from the University
of Iowa suggest
gender-based therapy. Often, diagnosing
these disorders in males is challenging because males provide more feasible
motives for dieting, physicians and society have biased views, and a variance exists
among the admittance level between males and females. Thus, gender-sensitive psychotherapies are
implemented to address male socialization and control issues in relation to
eating disorders (Greenberg & Schoen, 2008).
Additionally, internet-based interventions are
utilized to treat such disorders. As
with the SMS text intervention, such methods are secondary, post-clinical
treatment tools. Internet-based programs
provide self-help and prevention of relapse.
A specific program, EDINA
(translated as Internet-based Aftercare for Patients with Eating Disorders) is
utilized by Hungarian therapists. In
addition to the aforementioned provisions, this program offers peer support,
professional consultation, symptom monitoring, supportive feedback, and group
chat sessions. Such amenities grant the
patient the ability to maintain improvement, further recovery, and transition
from treatment to everyday life (Gulec, Moessner, Mezei, Kohls, Tury, &
Bauer, 2011).
References:
Bauer, S., Okon, E., Meermann, R.
& Kordy, H. (2012). Technology-Enhanced
Maintenance of
Treatment Gains in Eating Disorders: Efficacy of an Intervention
Delivered via
Text Messaging. Journal of Consulting and
Clinical Psychology,
80(4), 700-706.
Butcher, J.N., Mineka, S., &
Hooley, J.M. (2010). Abnormal psychology (14th ed.).
Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Greenberg, S. T. & Schoen, E.
G. (2008). Males and eating disorders: Gender-based
therapy for eating
disorder recovery. Professional
Psychology: Research and Practice, 39(4), 464-471.
Gulec, H., Moessner, M., Mezei, A.,
Kohls, E., Tury, F., & Bauer, S. (2011). Internet
based maintenance
treatment for patients with eating disorders. Professional
Psychology:
Research and Practice, 42(6), 479-486.
Waller, G., Stringer, H., Meyer, C.
(2012). What cognitive behavioral techniques do
therapists report
using when delivering cognitive behavioral therapy for the eating
disorders? Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 80(1), 171-175.
