Mindfulness-Based Intervention for the Treatment of Binge Eating: A Single Case Design

Abstract

In this thesis I examined the utility of a mindfulness-based intervention to individually treat in a woman in her late 40's with a subthreshold binge eating disorder. The intervention used was an adapted protocol from an eight-week group format to treat an individual client over the course of 16 weeks. Clinically significant improvements were found in frequency of binge episodes, depression symptoms, eating concerns, and dietary restraint. Although they were in the expected direction, the improvements in anxiety, overall eating disorder symptoms, weight concern, and shape concern were not clinically significant. Additionally, the client's mindful awareness actually decreased slightly over the course of treatment. Future research should include dismantling studies to investigate the impact of the various techniques used in mindfulness-based interventions for eating disorders, and explore the differences in effectiveness between mindfulness-based interventions conducted in group versus individualized formats. Degree Type Thesis RightsTerms of use for work posted in CommonKnowledge.This thesis is available at CommonKnowledge: http://commons.pacificu.edu/spp/144 Copyright and terms of useIf you have downloaded this document directly from the web or from CommonKnowledge, see the "Rights" section on the previous page for the terms of use.If you have received this document through an interlibrary loan/document delivery service, the following terms of use apply:Copyright in this work is held by the author(s). You may download or print any portion of this document for personal use only, or for any use that is allowed by fair use (Title 17, §107 U.S.C.). Except for personal or fair use, you or your borrowing library may not reproduce, remix, republish, post, transmit, or distribute this document, or any portion thereof, without the permission of the copyright owner. In this thesis I examined the utility of a mindfulness-based intervention to individually treat in a woman in her late 40's with a subthreshold binge eating disorder. The intervention used was an adapted protocol from an eight-week group format to treat an individual client over the course of 16 weeks. Clinically significant improvements were found in frequency of binge episodes, depression symptoms, eating concerns, and dietary restraint. Although they were in the expected direction, the improvements in anxiety, overall eating disorder symptoms, weight concern, and shape concern were not clinically significant. Additionally, the client's mindful awareness actually decreased slightly over the course of treatment. Future research should include dismantling studies to investigate the impact of the various techniques used in mindfulness-based interventions for eating disorders, and explore the differences in effectiveness between mindfulness-based interventions conducted in group versus individualized formats.