State of Mind
Original Article
Outcome of Time Limited Psychotherapy for ‘Bulimic Spectrum Disorders’ in Routine Clinical Practice
Button, E.J. & Webb, C.L.
Eating Disorders Service, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust
Abstract
Objectives: Our aim was to explore treatment outcome for non-specific time-limited psychotherapy for bulimic spectrum disorders in routine clinical practice. Design: In view of the focus on outcome in routine clinical practice, we used a naturalistic design.
Methods. A total of 53 patients were successfully followed up and independently assessed on average at six months after completing such therapy and assigned to an improved or non-improved group based on evidence of a change to a less severe diagnosis.
Results. According to our criteria 60.4% were classed as ‘improved’, 37.7% showed no significant change and 1.9% (one patient) was judged to be worse. Improvement was greater in those with a lower initial score on the global severity index of the SCL90.
Conclusions. We consider the problems of measuring outcome in such patients, as well as the implications of the results for the psychotherapeutic management of bulimic spectrum patients with significant psychiatric co-morbidity.
READ FULL ARTICLE – STATE OF MIND PREMIUM
Address for Correspondence:
