title: A randomized controlled trial of an internet-based posttreatment care for patients with eating disorders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite effective treatment approaches, relapses are frequent in eating disorders. Posttreatment care is essential to enhance continuous recovery and prevent deterioration. This study evaluated the effects of an Internet-based intervention following routine care.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred five women who received treatment for bulimia nervosa and related eating disorders not otherwise specified were randomly assigned either to an immediate Internet-based support program (EDINA) over 4 months or to a 4-month waiting-list treatment as usual (TAU) control condition. The primary outcome was eating disorder-related attitudes at baseline and after 4 months assessed by the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The program proved feasible and was well accepted. A significant reduction in eating disorder-related attitudes could be shown for both groups at the end of the 4 months. There was a tendency for participants of the aftercare intervention to show better results on all outcome measures. In total, 40.6% (13/32) of the EDINA participants and 24.4% (10/41) of the TAU participants showed statistically reliable improvement on the EDE-Q total score by the end of the intervention period [χ(2)(1)=2.195, p=0.138].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Internet-based support program was feasible and well accepted but did not prove efficacious in a heterogeneous sample of patients following routine care.
authors.affiliation: 1 Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University , Budapest, Hungary .
authors.forename: Hayriye
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gulec
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moessner
authors.forename: Ferenc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Túry
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fiedler
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mezei
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bauer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000359:Aftercare; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Internet; bulimia nervosa; eating disorder; maintenance treatment