title: Emotion acceptance behavior therapy for anorexia nervosa: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of Emotion Acceptance Behavior Therapy (EABT), an outpatient psychotherapeutic intervention for anorexia nervosa (AN) based on a disorder-specific model of symptom maintenance that emphasizes emotion avoidance. EABT combines standard behavioral interventions that are central to the clinical management of AN with evidence-supported strategies to increase emotion awareness, decrease emotion avoidance, and encourage resumption of valued activities and relationships outside the eating disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four individuals aged ≥17 years with AN were treated using the EABT manual. EABT was delivered in 33-58 individual sessions provided over 38-53 weeks. Assessments were conducted before and after treatment, and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen patients (54.2%) completed EABT; 11 (45.8%) dropped out or were withdrawn. EABT was associated with significant improvements in weight, disordered eating symptoms, and emotion avoidance that were maintained over 6-month follow-up. The majority of EABT completers achieved a body mass index >18.5 (n = 9/13) or had a normal Eating Disorder Examination Global score (n = 10/13) at post-treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preliminary data suggest that EABT may have utility for a subset of adults with AN. Future research will focus on improving outcomes in EABT nonresponders and identifying of mechanisms that drive treatment response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Jennifer E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Wildes
authors.forename: Marsha D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Marcus
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Elizabeth B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: McCabe
authors.forename: Jill A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gaskill
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D001364:Awareness; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: anorexia nervosa; emotion; treatment