Prior treatment received by patients with bulimia nervosa

✍ Scribed by Crow, Scott ;Pederson Mussell, Melissa ;Peterson, Carol ;Knopke, Amy ;Mitchell, James

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 98 KB
• Volume: 25
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0276-3478
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-108x(199901)25:1<39::aid-eat5>3.0.co;2-w

✦ Synopsis

Objective: This study examined the frequency with which subjects with bulimia nervosa (BN) presenting for treatment or follow-up studies had previously received either adequate pharmacologic treatment or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Method: Semistructured telephone screening of individuals who called in response to advertisements about research studies was used to establish diagnoses and to clarify prior pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic treatments for BN. Results: Of 581 women responding, 353 (60.8%) had probable BN. Overall, 61.4% of these subjects had received psychotherapy (96.7%) but rarely CBT (6.9%). Over one half (63.7%) had received pharmacologic treatment, most commonly with fluoxetine (72.5%). Of those having received any medication treatment, 46.2% were judged to have received at least one adequate trial. Overall, 35.0% of those previously treated had received at least one prior course of adequate pharmacotherapy or CBT for BN. Conclusion: Although efficacious treatments for BN have been established, they have not been received by most individuals presenting for further treatment.