A pilot study of a randomised trial of cognitive analytical therapy vs educational behavioral therapy for adult anorexia nervosa

Evidence-based treatment of anorexia nervosa

“…Channon and colleagues 23 compared cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), behavior therapy (BT), and a low-contact control condition in 24 adult patients. Crisp and colleagues 5 compared one-to-one and group ways of delivering the combination of individual and family psychotherapy, and Treasure and colleagues 24 compared cognitive analytic therapy (CAT) with BT in 30 adult patients. In all four studies, no statistically significant findings of note emerged.…”

Cognitive Analytical Therapy in the Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa

“…One randomized controlled trial of outpatient therapy following admission has shown that, in the younger patient, family therapy is the treatment of choice, whereas for the older or more chronic patient, individual therapy is to be preferred (Russell et al, 1987). A few small scale studies suggest that outpatient treatment alone can be effective (Hall and Crisp, 1987;Channon et al, 1989;Crisp et al, 1992Crisp et al, , 1995Treasure et al, 1995), but leave many questions unanswered. In this article we discuss the use of a short-term therapy, cognitive analytical therapy (CAT), in the outpatient treatment of anorexia nervosa.…”

Anorexia Nervosa

“…In a small pilot study of adult patients with AN, weight and Morgan-Russell outcomes (nutritional, menstrual, mental state, psychosexual functioning, social functioning) were evaluated in a group assigned to CAT versus a group assigned to educational behavioral treatment in which patients monitored their daily intake using diaries. At the end of the study, the CAT group reported higher self-ratings of improvement compared to the group assigned to educational behavioral treatment (Treasure et al, 1995).…”

“…Cognitive analytic therapy (CAT) is a treatment that borrows from both psychodynamic and behavioral approaches, combining elements of cognitive therapy and brief, focused, psychodynamic psychotherapy (Treasure et al, 1995). CAT assists patients in developing a formal multifaceted conceptualization (in diagram form) of anorexia in their experience of themselves and their early and current relationships, and helps them to use this insight to manage their feelings and relationships rather than rely on AN to function in this capacity.…”

“…Two studies using CAT failed to find any advantage of CAT over educational behavioral therapy or focal family therapy in eating, mood, or weight outcomes Treasure et al, 1995) (Table 25.4). Dare and colleagues (2001) found CAT to be equivalent to focal family therapy in increasing percentage of adult body weight, restoring menstruation, and decreasing bulimic symptoms; overall clinical improvement was modest.…”