Coping strategies in bulimia nervosa treatment: impact on outcome in group cognitive-behavioral therapy.
This study's purpose was to examine the extent to which participants (N = 143) receiving cognitive-behavioral therapy for bulimia nervosa (BN) reported implementing therapeutic strategies to abstain from BN behaviors, and to assess whether use of specific strategies predicts outcome at treatment end and 1- and 6-month follow-up. Frequency of outcome expectancies (OE), stimulus-response prevention (SRP), and social support-seeking (SSS) strategies significantly increased by end of treatment. By 1-month follow-up, use of SSS, not OE or SRP, declined significantly relative to treatment end. Although frequency of coping strategy use at treatment end did not predict 1-month BN symptom remission, SSS use at 1-month follow-up predicted 6-month remission. Findings highlight the importance of social support to maintain treatment gains.
Binford
Roslyn B
RB
Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago, IL 60637, USA. rbinford@yoda.bsd.uchicago.edu
Mussell
Melissa Pederson
MP
Crosby
Ross D
RD
Peterson
Carol B
CB
Crow
Scott J
SJ
Mitchell
James E
JE
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000628:therapy*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome