Psychodynamic Group Treatment of Young Adult Bulimic Women: Preliminary Positive Results

Abstract

This paper presents preliminary results of symptomatic and behavioral changes and psychodynamic observations for 9 young adult bulimic women treated with psychodynamic group psychotherapy. Pre/post group test results showed significant improvement on all measures of eating pathology, on the EDI ineffectiveness item and the Janis-Field feelings of inadequacy scale as well as on the total score of the Hopkins Symptom checklist. These results were consistent with independent clinical conclusions and with verbal reports of improvements in binging and purging behaviour. Clinical content shed light on the role of the parents, especially the father, in the development of body-image, sense of adequacy and self-esteem, life goals and feminine identification. The authors conclude that clinical observations to date have yielded interesting psychodynamic hypotheses and the initial symptomatic improvements warrant cautious therapeutic optimism.

The Psychology of Bulimia Nervosa

“…A study of psychodynamic group psychotherapy (nine young women) conducted treatment using a 'traditional psychodynamically oriented group psychotherapy approach … with the emphasis on self exploration and identification and resolution of conflicts, both at the level of the group and the individual' (p.154). Improvement was obtained on several self-report measures over an average of 16 sessions (O'Neil & White 1987).…”

A pilot study of clonazepam versus psychodynamic group therapy plus clonazepam in the treatment of generalized social anxiety disorder

“…Although psychodynamic psychotherapy has been shown in other disorders [8,34,43,45,59], there is only one published study suggesting its efficacy in GSAD [33]. In a recent study thirty patients were randomized to PGT or to a control group for 12 weeks in order to evaluate the efficacy of PGT.…”

“…Most of what is known about psychoanalytic treatment for GSAD comes from case reports or uncontrolled studies [21,31,35,55]. Although psychodynamic psychotherapy has been shown in other disorders [8,34,43,45,59], there is only one published study suggesting its efficacy in GSAD [33]. In a recent study 30 patients were randomized to psychodynamic group therapy (PGT) or to a control group for 12 weeks in order to evaluate the efficacy of PGT.…”

Revisión de la Evidencia sobre la Efectividad de la Psicoterapia de Grupo

“…En el caso de la bulimia algunos participantes en terapia de grupos han sido capaces de reducir la cantidad de ingestas excesivas y vómitos provocados con aún mayores beneficios que con otras intervenciones previas y terapia individual intensiva. En términos generales, la mejoría está asociada con tratamientos a largo plazo (McKisak y Waller, 1997;O'Neil, y White, 1987) y mejoran las conductas de ingestión de alimentos a la vez que se reducen la ansiedad y la depresión (Burlingame et al, 2003.…”