An empirically validated, short-term psychoeducational group treatment program for bulimia

The present study examined the effectiveness of an empirically based, psychoeducational, group treatment program for bulimia. The seven-week program focused primarily on decreasing depression, enhancing self-esteem, increasing assertion and improving body image. In addition, women monitored their own bingeing and purging. Relative to no treatment controls (N = 7), women who received treatment (N = 11) showed significant improvements in their number of binges per month, self-esteem, and depression. Also, the number of purges per month tended to decrease. Women in both groups showed significant improvements in body image. The treatment gains were maintained at a ten-week follow-up. These results suggest that a short-term group treatment approach that focuses on personality and behavioral deficits as well as the maladaptive eating pattern is an effective treatment strategy for bulimia.