The long‐term efficacy of three psychotherapies for anorexia nervosa: A randomized, controlled trial

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the long-term efficacy of three psychotherapies for anorexia nervosa.Method: Participants were women with broadly defined anorexia nervosa who had participated in a RCT comparing specialized psychotherapies (cognitive behavior therapy, CBT, and interpersonal psychotherapy, IPT) with a control condition (specialist supportive clinical management, SSCM), and attended long-term follow-up assessment (mean 6.7 years 6 1.2).Results: Forty three of the original sample of 56 women participated in longterm follow-up assessment (77%). No significant differences were found on any pre-selected primary, secondary or tertiary outcome measures among the three psychotherapies at long-term follow-up assessment. Significantly different patterns of recovery were identified for the psychotherapies across time on the primary global outcome measure. Although SSCM was associated with a more rapid response than IPT, by follow-up all three treatments were indistinguishable.Discussion: Potential implications for the timing of interventions to improve treatment response in anorexia nervosa are critically examined. V V C 2010 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The dissemination and implementation of psychological treatments: Problems and solutions

“…It has not been tested as a treatment for eating disorder NOS; it is slower to work than CBT in bulimia nervosa 15,16 ; and it is of uncertain value in the treatment of anorexia nervosa. 17,18 Other potential candidates are the various alternative psychological treatments for adults with anorexia nervosa, but as yet none has good evidence to support it and all are anorexia nervosa-specific and so have a narrow clinical range. Turning to adolescents, a specific form of family therapy, so-called family-based treatment, 19 has good evidence to support it as a treatment for anorexia nervosa and there is evidence that it can be used in bulimia nervosa.…”

Leptin treatment of patients with anorexia nervosa? The urgent need for initiation of clinical studies

“…Antidepressants and in particular selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have not proven beneficial for treating the disorder itself or the frequent comorbid depression. There is evidence that olanzapine is helpful during the acute phase of AN [4]. The treatment costs for AN are high; in Germany it was estimated that the total direct treatment costs amounted to 195 million euros in 1999 which implied mean annual costs per patient of approximately 5,300 euros [5].…”

Treatment of anorexia nervosa: a multimethod investigation translating experimental neuroscience into clinical practice

“…156 In the McIntosh study, SSCM BMI outcomes were superior to CBT and IPT BMI outcomes at end of treatment, but not at long-term follow-up. 157 In the Touyz et al…”