Researchers from the Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust in Chorley, UK, investigated the efficacy of a CD-ROM offering Cognitive Behavioral self-help treatment to patients with binge eating disorder and/or bulimia nervosa, many of whom find it hard to access treatment otherwise. Rates of failure to enter treatment and to stay with treatment are extremely high for this population.
Patients referred to a catchment-based NHS outpatient eating disorders service who were assessed and had an eating disorder with a binge-eating component were offered
CD-ROM based CBT (Overcoming Bulimia) whilst on the waiting list for individual CBT.
Forty patients completed the 8 sessions with the
CD-ROM based CBT (Overcoming Bulimia) and attended the evaluation appointment (13 had bulimia nervosa, 27 had binge eating disorder).
For both groups, there were significant improvements in well-being and functioning, as well as significant reductions in problems and risk. There was also a significant reduction on the "Bulimic Subscale" of the EDI. These results were comparable with the original study findings (Schmidt, Treasure and Williams, 2001). Dropouts from the CD-ROM reflected rates common to other EDS treatments suggesting that CD-ROM did not directly impact upon service dropout rates.
The study concludes that computer assisted CBT for Eating Disorders offers a promising, feasible and acceptable first step for patients who have bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder, providing access to treatment by specialists in eating disorders.
This is VERY exciting. Thanks so much for sharing the info. Belleruth, do you have any idea if we can get hold of this CD-ROM for our clients?
... written by Belleruth,
January 04, 2012
No - it's clearly from the UK - but that's why I included the email address of the principle investigator in the citation: lisa.graham@lancashirecare.nhs.uk .
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Show/hide comments
Show/hide comment form
