Are single-parent families different from two-parent families in the treatment of adolescent bulimia nervosa using family-based treatment?
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether family-based treatment (FBT) for adolescent bulimia nervosa (BN), which emphasizes family involvement in helping to reduce binge eating and purging behaviors, is differentially efficacious in single-parent families versus two-parent families.


METHODS
Forty-one adolescents (97.6% female; 16.0 +/- 1.7 years old) with either BN (n = 18) or subthreshold BN (n = 23) were randomized to FBT as part of a larger randomized controlled trial studying treatments for adolescent BN.


RESULTS
Two-parent (n = 27; 65.9%) and single-parent (n = 14; 34.2%) families were compared on demographic variables, presence of comorbid psychiatric illnesses, and symptoms of BN at baseline, post, and 6-month follow-up. ANOVA and chi-square analyses revealed no statistically significant differences between two-parent and single-parent families on any variables with the exception of ethnicity, for which a greater proportion of Caucasians and Hispanic families had two- parent families compared with African-American families (chi(2) = 8.68, p = .01).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that FBT may be an appropriate and efficacious treatment for single-parent families as well as two-parent families, despite the reliance on parental intervention to reduce bulimic symptoms and normalize eating patterns.
Doyle
Angela Celio
AC
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA. acdoyle@uchicago.edu
McLean
Carmen
C
Washington
Blaine N
BN
Hoste
Renee Rienecke
RR
le Grange
Daniel
D
D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D003710:Demography; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020954:Single-Parent Family / Q000523:psychology*