Efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral guided self-help program for the treatment of binge-eating disorder

The main characteristics of binge-eating disorder (BED) are binge-eating episodes during which affected individuals experience loss of control, accompanied by the consumption of large amounts of food in a limited period of time. Binge-eating episodes in BED are not followed by compensatory behavior. Binge-eating is associated with a high degree of distress and in many cases accompanied by overweight. Manualized cognitive-behavioral single and group therapy programs for the treatment of BED have shown high efficacy in controlled studies. Based on a manualized face to face treatment, a self-help book was published and evaluated in the present guided self-help treatment program (gsh-program) in a naturalistic clinical study setting. 22 participants (21 female, 1 male, mean age 35.82 years (SD = 10.35)) followed the 8-week gsh-program with three booster sessions (1, 3 and 6 months after the active treatment). Two participants (9.1 %) prematurely terminated the gsh-program during the treatment phase (dropout). The number of weekly binges and eating disorder pathology (restraint eating, shape- and weight concern and eating concern) significantly decreased until the end of the active treatment. The number of weekly binges and eating disorder pathology remained stable during follow-up. General psychopathology (depressive-and anxiety symptoms) significantly decreased until the end of follow-up, 6 months after the end of active treatment. Findings suggest that the present gsh-program is an efficacious option for the treatment of BES.