Training in Emotion Regulation as a Treatment for Binge Eating: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Binge eating within Binge Eating Disorder (BED) may represent ineffective management of, and inappropriate escape from, strong, dysphoric emotions, but treatments have been slow to incorporate an emotion regulation focus. Eleven women meeting criteria for BED participated in 11 sessions (2 hours per week) of a psychoeducational group program providing training in emotion recognition and management, problem-solving, assertion training, relaxation and stress management. Outcome was evaluated using a multiple-baseline design replicated across groups. Binges were self-monitored daily, and self-report questionnaires assessed wellbeing and emotion regulation at pretreatment, posttreatment and follow-up. Cognitive changes from pre to posttreatment were evaluated by Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations. The program was effective in reducing binge eating, alexithymia, stress and depression, and it improved coping and positive cognitions. No participant met criteria for BED at follow-up. The findings provide support for the inclusion of training in emotion recognition and regulation in treatments for BED and for affect regulation models of binge eating.

Binge eating tendencies and anger coping: investigating the confound of trait neuroticism in a non‐clinical sample

“…Depression is also related to anger-focused rumination (Gilbert, Cheung, Irons, & McEwan, 2005), and to the fear of anger (Brody, Haaga, Kirk, & Soloman, 1999). Assertiveness training is also effective in decreasing depression and binge eating episodes in women with binge eating disorder (Clyne & Blampied, 2004). These findings suggest that anger inexpressiveness may act as a vulnerability factor for depressive symptomatology.…”

The Assessment of Alexithymia in Medical Settings: Implications for Understanding and Treating Health Problems

“…These questions are of obvious value not only from a clinical perspective but also from a theoretical viewpoint because one can demonstrate that a risk factor such as alexithymia actually contributes to health problems only by reducing or removing it and seeing whether health improves. Some studies have shown that alexithymia decreases over time during treatment of eating disorders (Becker-Stoll & Gerlinghoff, 2004;Clyne & Blampied, 2004;de Groot, Rodin, & Olmsted, 1995), yet these interventions were not attempting to reduce alexithymia directly, and the decrease in alexithymia may have been a reflection of reduced symptoms. Furthermore, these studies did not have control or comparison conditions to assess changes in alexithymia in the absence of treatment or given a different treatment.…”

The Role of Emotion Regulation in the Treatment of Child Anxiety Disorders

“…The specific impact of incorporating emotion regulation components into therapy for children and adolescents is therefore largely unexplored at this time. A few studies, however, have examined changes in emotion regulation skills following emotion regulation therapy for adults (e.g., Clyne and Blampied 2004;Mennin 2004). In the Clyne and Blampied (2004) study with bulimic women, for example, the recognition of emotion and bodily sensations improved significantly following treatment.…”