Self-help versus therapist-led group cognitive-behavioral treatment of binge eating disorder at follow-up.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the longer-term outcome of three group cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) delivery models for the treatment of binge eating disorder (BED).


METHODS
Fifty-one participants were assigned to one of three conditions. In the therapist-led condition (TL; n = 16), a psychologist provided psychoeducational information for the first half hour and led a group discussion for the second half hour of each session. In the partial self-help condition (PSH; n = 19), participants viewed a 30-min psychoeducational videotape, followed by a therapist-led discussion. In the structured self-help condition (SSH; n = 16), participants watched a psychoeducational videotape and led their own discussion.


RESULTS
Reductions in binge eating episodes and associated symptoms were observed for all three treatments at post, 1-month, 6-month, and 1-year follow-up, with no significant differences among the three conditions.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that CBT for BED can be delivered successfully using videotape and a structured self-help group format and that improvements in binge eating are maintained up to 1 year follow-up.
Peterson
C B
CB
Eating Disorders Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454, USA. peter161@tc.umn.edu
Mitchell
J E
JE
Engbloom
S
S
Nugent
S
S
Pederson Mussell
M
M
Crow
S J
SJ
Thuras
P
P
D000328:Adult; D002032:Bulimia / Q000628:therapy*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D014743:Videotape Recording