Efficacy of emotion‐focused therapy in the treatment of eating disorders: A systematic review

Abstract

Background The high incidence of eating disorders (EDs) means that its treatment is approached from various perspectives, among which we find emotion‐focused therapy (EFT). Therefore, the main objective of this systematic review was to know the effectiveness of EFT for eating disorders. Method A systematic review of PubMed, the Cochrane Library and the Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection was carried out without a time limit and in a population with an eating disorder diagnosis. Results Eight studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria: (1) six studies treated the population with binge eating disorder (BED) five were group treatments, and four included the combined modality; (2) one with BED, bulimia nervosa (BN) and Eating Disorder No Otherwise Specified (EDNOS); and (3) one for a single case of anorexia nervosa (AN). The duration of treatments ranged from 12 weeks to 18 months, and all studies used the original EFT protocol. Specific variables of each type of eating disorder were studied, as well as comorbid symptoms. Conclusions It seems that the results coincide in the existence of post‐treatment improvements both in eating psychopathology and in affective symptoms, although with variable data during follow‐up. More research is needed to affirm the efficacy of EFT as an empirically validated treatment for EDs.

Latent profiles of emotion dysregulation among individuals with binge‐spectrum eating disorders: Associations with eating disorder pathology

“…In an effectiveness study comparing DBT and CBT in individuals diagnosed with BED, there were no significant differences in primary outcomes (global eating pathology and frequency of objective binge episodes) at follow‐up, indicating DBT's relevance in clinical practice as compared to CBT (Lammers et al., 2022). Furthermore, preliminary research has found other emotion focused treatments such as emotion‐focused therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and integrative cognitive‐affective therapy effective in reducing eating disorder pathology and behaviours in individuals with B‐ED's (Juarascio et al., 2013; Osoro et al., 2022; Wonderlich et al., 2014). Further investigating heterogeneity among established maintenance factors for eating disorders, such as emotion dysregulation, is essential.…”

What about males? Exploring sex differences in the relationship between emotion difficulties and eating disorders

“…There is, as mentioned, extant literature purporting a central role for emotion processing and regulation deficits in the ED spectrum [ 21 , 53 , 60 , 86 ], albeit in female samples, and these difficulties are hence addressed in psychological therapies for EDs. There is also preliminary support for the beneficial impact of emotion processing- and emotion regulation-focused interventions on ED symptomatology [ 80 , 87 ]. Against the backdrop of this literature, our findings support the perspective that emotion processing and regulation deficits are important in the aetiology of EDs.…”

Weight Restoration and Symptom Remission for Longstanding, Untreated Anorexia Nervosa in a Remote Eating Disorder Treatment Program: A Case Study

“…The psychotherapist’s eclectic approach enabled her to draw upon strategies as indicated, primarily utilizing cognitive-behavioral, including third-wave approaches like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), humanistic, and psychodynamic therapies. Consistent with an evidence-based practice approach, these strategies were selected based on available research showing preliminary support for potential effectiveness with EDs (CBT, DBT, ACT: Muratore & Attia, 2021; humanistic: Osoro et al, 2022; psychodynamic: Abbate-Daga et al, 2016), the psychotherapist’s own expertise, and their fit with Gertrude’s presenting issues (see Table 2 for examples of how strategies were matched to treatment goals and objectives). The psychotherapist reported using psychodynamic interventions most often, documenting use for 96.88% of Gertrude’s sessions, followed by cognitive-behavioral (90.63%) and finally humanistic (84.38%).…”