title: A case series investigating acceptance and commitment therapy as a treatment for previously treated, unremitted patients with anorexia nervosa.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN) using a case series methodology among participants with a history of prior treatment for AN. Three participants enrolled; all completed the study. All participants had a history of 1-20 years of intensive eating disorder treatment prior to enrollment. Participants were seen for 17-19 twice-weekly sessions of manualized ACT. Symptoms were assessed at baseline, post-treatment and 1-year follow-up. All participants experienced clinically significant improvement on at least some measures; no participants worsened or lost weight even at 1-year follow-up. Simulation modelling analysis (SMA) revealed for some participants an increase in weight gain and a decrease in eating disorder symptoms during the treatment phase as compared to a baseline assessment phase. These data, although preliminary, suggest that ACT could be a promising treatment for subthreshold or clinical cases of AN, even with chronic participants or those with medical complications.
authors.affiliation: Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, NH 03756-0001, USA. Margit.I.Berman@dartmouth.edu
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Boutelle
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Crow
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D001364:Awareness; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D010865:Pilot Projects; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D015430:Weight Gain; D055815:Young Adult