Efficacy of a therapist-guided smartphone-based intervention to support recovery from bulimia nervosa: Study protocol of a randomized controlled multi-centre trial.

OBJECTIVE: Although inpatient treatment is highly effective for patients with bulimia nervosa (BN), some patients show a resurgence of symptoms and relapse after discharge. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a guided smartphone-based aftercare intervention following inpatient treatment to support recovery. METHOD: 172 female patients with BN (DSM-5: 307.51) will be randomized to receive a 16-week smartphone-based aftercare intervention (German version of 'Recovery Record') with therapist feedback as an add-on element to treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU alone. Assessments will take place at baseline (discharge, T0), during the intervention (after 4 weeks, T1), post-intervention (after 16 weeks, T2) and at 6-month follow-up (T3). Primary outcome will be remission at T2. Moderator and mediator analyses will investigate for whom the aftercare intervention suits best and how it works. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first randomized controlled trial to examine a guided smartphone-based aftercare intervention following inpatient treatment of patients with BN. We expect that this innovative aftercare intervention is highly accepted by the patients and that it has the potential to support recovery after inpatient treatment and thereby could contribute to improving aftercare for patients with BN.

Psychometric properties of the Compulsive Exercise Test in a large sample of female adolescent and adult inpatients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE: The Compulsive Exercise Test (CET) was developed to assess compulsive exercise in patients with eating disorders (EDs), but originally validated in a nonclinical sample, and psychometric properties were only investigated in small clinical samples. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine its psychometric properties in a large clinical sample of adolescent and adult inpatients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. METHOD: A sample of 2,535 German female inpatients with EDs completed the CET and other instruments at admission and discharge. Factor structure (confirmatory [CFA] and exploratory factor analyses [EFA]), internal consistency and construct validity, measurement invariance across age and diagnostic groups, group comparisons of means, as well as sensitivity to change during treatment were assessed. RESULTS: The CET showed high internal consistency, very good construct validity, and sensitivity to change. CFA indicated a better fit of four-factor and three-factor solutions compared to the original five-factor model. However, subsequent EFA identified an optimum for a five-factor model. Only three subscales were satisfactorily invariant to measurement, but not the CET total score. Only small differences in scores between patient groups were observed. DISCUSSION: Results support internal consistency, construct validity, and sensitivity to change, whereas factor structure remains inconclusive, questioning the theoretical basis of the CET. There is limited support for using the lack of enjoyment subscale, and only moderate support for using the rigidity subscale in patients with EDs. It is recommended to further explore and/or revise the original CET, including investigation in other samples, for example, male samples.

Adolescent inpatients with anorexia nervosa can roughly predict their own weight trajectories after discharge.

Most adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) gain a substantial amount of weight during inpatient treatment, but many relapse after discharge. Therefore, there is a need to identify variables that predict weight changes after treatment. The current study tested whether such a variable may be patients' own predictions about their future weight. Data of 120 female adolescent inpatients with AN were available at discharge and one-year follow-up. Patients' own predictions about their future weight trajectories predicted their actual weight change after discharge: those who indicated that they would gain weight, gained weight, those who indicated that they would lose weight, lost weight, and those who indicated to maintain their weight, had no weight change on average. Similarly, expected weight change in kilograms correlated positively with actual weight change after discharge. Thus, patients who expect that they will lose weight again should receive intensified aftercare that fosters motivation to change.

Using network analysis to compare diagnosis-specific and age-specific symptom networks in eating disorders.

OBJECTIVE: The network theory of mental disorders conceptualizes eating disorders (EDs) as networks of interacting symptoms. Network analysis studies in EDs mostly have examined transdiagnostic and/or mixed age samples. The aim of our study was to investigate similarities and differences of networks in adolescents and adults with anorexia nervosa (AN) or bulimia nervosa (BN). METHOD: Participants were 2,535 patients (n = 991 adults with AN, n = 821 adolescents with AN, n = 473 adults with BN, and n = 250 adolescents with BN) who completed the Eating Disorder Inventory-2. Twenty-seven items were selected. Cross-sectional networks were estimated via Joint Graphical Lasso. Core symptoms were identified using strength centrality. Spearman correlations and network comparison tests (NCTs) were used to compare groups. RESULTS: Across diagnoses and ages, feeling ineffective, desire to be thinner, worries that feelings will get out of control, guilt after overeating as well as doing things perfectly emerged as most central symptoms. There were moderate to high correlations between symptom profiles (0.62-0.97, mean: 0.78) as well as high correlations between network structures (0.83-0.93, mean: 0.87) and network strengths (0.73-0.95, mean: 0.85). Global strength significantly differed in two of the six NCTs, and 2.5-10% of edges differed between networks. DISCUSSION: Considerable similarities in network structures and strengths across diagnoses and ages speak in favor of the transdiagnostic approach to EDs. Besides drive for thinness, ineffectiveness, emotion regulation difficulties, and perfectionism might be the most consistent factors in ED networks. These symptoms as well as their symptom connections should be especially focused in treatment regardless of age and diagnosis.

Inpatient treatment of anorexia nervosa in adolescents: A 1-year follow-up study.

OBJECTIVE: Inpatient treatment effectively increases body weight and decreases eating disorder symptoms in adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN). However, there is a high risk of relapse within the first year after discharge, which calls for investigating long-term treatment success and its moderators. METHOD: Female adolescent inpatients with AN (N = 142) were assessed, of which 85% participated at 1-year follow-up. Dependent variables were body mass index percentiles, eating disorder symptoms, depressive symptoms, compulsive exercise and life satisfaction. RESULTS: On average, body weight increased and eating disorder symptoms and depressive symptoms decreased from admission to discharge and remained stable at follow-up. Compulsive exercise decreased and life satisfaction increased from admission to discharge and even improved further at follow-up. Age, duration of illness, previous inpatient treatments, length of stay and readmission after discharge moderated changes in several outcome variables. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the high effectiveness of inpatient treatment for adolescents with AN and demonstrates that treatment effects remain stable or even improve further within the first year after discharge. However, subgroups of patients (e.g., those with an older age, longer duration of illness, and previous inpatient treatments) require special attention during inpatient treatment and aftercare to prevent relapse.

Orthorexic tendencies moderate the relationship between semi-vegetarianism and depressive symptoms.

PURPOSE: Vegetarianism and semi-vegetarianism (i.e., overly vegetarian diet with rare consumption of meat) have been repeatedly linked with depression. As the nature of this association is unclear, we explored whether orthorexic (i.e., pathologically healthful eating) tendencies and ecological/ethical motives to follow a vegetarian diet may moderate the relationship between (semi-)vegetarian diets and depressive symptoms. METHODS: Five-hundred eleven adults (63.4% females; 71.2% omnivores, 19.2% semi-vegetarians, 9.6% vegetarians) completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) questionnaire-measuring depressive symptoms-and the Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale (DOS)-measuring orthorexic tendencies. Based on respective questions, participants were categorized as omnivores, semi-vegetarians, and vegetarians (including vegans) and were asked to indicate whether they chose their diet based on ecological/ethical motives. Moderation analyses were carried out with PROCESS. RESULTS: Adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index, there was a statistically significant interaction effect between diet (omnivore vs. semi-vegetarianism vs. vegetarianism) and DOS scores when predicting PHQ depression scores. At low or medium DOS scores, diets did not differ in PHQ depression scores (all ps > 0.05). At high DOS scores, however, semi-vegetarians had higher PHQ depression scores than both omnivores (p = 0.002) and vegetarians (p < 0.001). The interaction between diet and ecological/ethical eating motives when predicting PHQ depression scores was not statistically significant (p = 0.41). CONCLUSION: Semi-vegetarians with strong orthorexic tendencies show more depressive symptoms than omnivores and vegetarians. The complex nature of the relationship between vegetarianism and depression requires further investigation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III, case-control analytic studies.

Orthorexic tendencies in the general population: association with demographic data, psychiatric symptoms, and utilization of mental health services.

PURPOSE: Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is characterized by a preoccupation to eat healthily and restrictive eating habits despite negative psychosocial and physical consequences. As a relatively new construct, its prevalence and correlates in the general population and the associated utilization of mental health services are unclear. METHODS: Adults from the general population completed the Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale (DOS), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ), the Short Eating Disorder Examination (SEED). RESULTS: Five-hundred eleven (63.4% female) participants with a mean age of 43.39 (SD = 18.06) completed the questionnaires. The prevalence of ON according to the DOS was 2.3%. Considering only effects of at least intermediate size, independent samples t-tests suggested higher DOS scores for persons with bulimia nervosa (p < .001, Cohen's d = 1.14), somatoform syndrome (p = .012, d = .60), and major depressive syndrome (compared p < .001, d = 1.78) according to PHQ as well as those who reported to always experience fear of gaining weight (p < .001, d = 1.78). The DOS score correlated moderately strong and positively with the PHQ depression (r = .37, p < .001) and stress (r = .33, p < .001) scores as well as the SEED bulimia score (r = .32, p < .001). In multivariate logistic regression analyses, only PHQ depression scores were associated with past psychotherapeutic or psychiatric treatment (OR = 1.20, p = .002) and intake of psychotropic medication in the last year (OR = 1.22, p = .013). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of ON was low compared to international studies but is in line with other non-representative German studies. Orthorexic tendencies related to general mental distress and eating disorder symptoms but were no independent reason for seeking treatment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

Efficacy of a Specialized Group Intervention for Compulsive Exercise in Inpatients with Anorexia Nervosa: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Treatment of compulsive exercise is recognized as a key unmet challenge in the treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN). To address this challenge, we developed the manualized group intervention "healthy exercise behavior" (HEB). This study evaluates the efficacy of HEB for the reduction of compulsive exercise as add-on to routine inpatient treatment (treatment as usual [TAU]) in a randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Two hundred and seven adolescent and adult female inpatients with (atypical) AN were randomly allocated to TAU or to additional participation in HEB (TAU + HEB). HEB integrates elements of exercise-based therapy into a cognitive-behavioral approach. Assessments took place at admission, pre-intervention, post-intervention, discharge, and 6 months follow-up. Primary outcome was the severity of compulsive exercise assessed by the Commitment to Exercise Scale between pre- and post-intervention; secondary outcomes were additional aspects of compulsive exercise, assessed by the Compulsive Exercise Test, weight gain, eating disorder and general psychopathology, and emotion regulation. RESULTS: In intention-to-treat analysis for the primary outcome, the TAU + HEB group showed significantly stronger reductions in the severity of compulsive exercise compared to the TAU group (z = -2.81; p = 0.005; effect size [ES] = -0.3). We also found significantly stronger reductions from admission to discharge (z= 2.62; p = 0.009; ES = -0.43), and from admission to follow-up (z = 2.1; p = 0.035; ES = -0.39). Regarding secondary outcomes, we found significant group differences between pre- and post-intervention in additional aspects of compulsive exercise (z = -2.55; p = 0.011; ES = -0.27). We did not find significant differences regarding weight gain, eating disorder and general psychopathology, and emotion regulation. CONCLUSIONS: Our intervention proved efficacious in reducing compulsive exercise in inpatients with (atypical) AN.

Seasonal and subtype differences in body mass index at admission in inpatients with anorexia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE: In the general population, body weight is-on average-higher in the winter than in the summer. In patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), however, the opposite pattern has been reported. Yet, only a handful of studies exist to date that suffer from small sample sizes and inconsistent results. Therefore, the current study examined seasonal effects on body weight in a large sample of patients with AN to dissolve previous inconsistencies. METHOD: Clinical records of N = 606 inpatients (95.4% female) who received AN treatment at the Schoen Clinic Roseneck (Prien am Chiemsee, Germany) between 2014 and 2019 were analyzed. RESULTS: Patients with restrictive type AN had lower body mass index at admission in the winter than in the summer. This difference was not found for patients with binge/purge type AN and patients with atypical AN. DISCUSSION: Individuals with restrictive type AN show seasonal variations in body weight that are opposite to seasonal variations in body weight in individuals without AN. These seasonal effects are specific to the restrictive subtype and cannot be found for the binge/purge or atypical subtypes. Future studies that replicate this effect in other cultures or latitudes and that examine the mediating mechanisms are needed.

Therapist-guided smartphone-based aftercare for inpatients with severe anorexia nervosa (SMART-AN): Study protocol of a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Inpatient treatment for patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) is recommended in extreme or severe cases after failure of outpatient treatment and is highly effective. However, a number of patients show symptom increase and relapse after discharge. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a therapist-guided smartphone-based aftercare intervention for inpatients with AN to support symptom stabilization. METHOD: A total of 186 female patients with a DSM-5 diagnosis of AN (307.1) will be randomized either to receive a 16-week smartphone-based aftercare intervention with therapist feedback as add-on to treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU alone. Data will be assessed at discharge (= baseline, T0), after 16 weeks (= end of the aftercare intervention, T1) and after 10 months (= 6-month follow-up, T2). Primary outcome will be overall eating disorder symptomatology (Eating Disorder Examination Global score). Secondary outcome measures will include body mass index, depression, motivation to change, self-efficacy, patient satisfaction with and adherence to the smartphone-based aftercare intervention as well as rehospitalization rate. DISCUSSION: This study will be the first randomized controlled trial to examine a therapist-guided smartphone-based aftercare intervention for inpatients with AN. Results may reveal whether and to which extent this novel intervention can support symptom stabilization after inpatient treatment.

Eating disorders in times of the COVID-19 pandemic-Results from an online survey of patients with anorexia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting public restrictions pose a psychological burden for humans worldwide and may be particularly detrimental for individuals with mental disorders. Therefore, the current study explored effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on eating disorder (ED) symptoms and other psychological aspects in former inpatients with anorexia nervosa (AN). METHOD: One-hundred and fifty-nine patients with AN-discharged from inpatient treatment in 2019-completed an online survey on contact history with COVID-19, changes in ED symptoms and other psychological aspects, health care utilization, and strategies patients employed to cope during the pandemic. RESULTS: Approximately 70% of patients reported that eating, shape and weight concerns, drive for physical activity, loneliness, sadness, and inner restlessness increased during the pandemic. Access to in-person psychotherapies and visits at the general practitioner (including weight checks) decreased by 37% and 46%, respectively. Videoconference therapy was used by 26% and telephone contacts by 35% of patients. Patients experienced daily routines, day planning and enjoyable activities as the most helpful among the most used coping strategies. DISCUSSION: The COVID-19 pandemic poses great challenges to patients with AN. ED-related thoughts and behaviors may be used as dysfunctional coping mechanisms to regain control over the current circumstances. E-mental health interventions appear to be promising for supporting AN patients during these hard times. Furthermore, interventions addressing symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as intolerance of uncertainty might help them manage their ED symptoms.

Measuring orthorexia nervosa: A comparison of four self-report questionnaires.

Orthorexia nervosa is characterized by a preoccupation to eat healthily. However, reliability and validity of some of the existing measures of orthorexic symptomatology are questionable. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to examine internal reliability of and intercorrelations between four of the most popular self-report scales for measuring orthorexia nervosa: Bratman's Orthorexia Test (BOT), the ORTO-15, the Eating Habits Questionnaire (EHQ), and the Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale (DOS). Five-hundred and eleven adults (63% female) completed all four instruments. Model fit of the originally proposed factor structures of the BOT, DOS, and EHQ was good but was unacceptable for the ORTO-15. Similarly, internal reliability was good for the BOT, EHQ, and DOS, but was unacceptable for the ORTO-15. The BOT, EHQ, and DOS were highly correlated with each other while correlations with the ORTO-15 were of medium size. A subsequent exploratory item analysis suggested that the poor psychometric properties of the ORTO-15 are largely due to the originally proposed scoring procedure. In conclusion, the BOT, EHQ, and DOS are internally reliable instruments that seem to measure the same construct-orthorexic eating behavior. In line with previous suggestions, we conclude that the ORTO-15 cannot be recommended for the measurement of orthorexia nervosa, at least not when the originally proposed scoring procedure is used.

Bulimia nervosa in times of the COVID-19 pandemic-Results from an online survey of former inpatients.

OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic might pose special challenges to patients with eating disorders (EDs) by interfering with daily routines. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the current pandemic on patients with bulimia nervosa (BN). METHODS: Fifty-five former inpatients with BN completed an online survey on psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as on changes in health care utilisation and on the use and helpfulness of different coping strategies. RESULTS: Almost half of patients (49%) reported a deterioration of their ED symptomatology and 62% reported a reduced quality of life. The frequency of binge eating increased in 47% of patients and self-induced vomiting in 36%. Forty-six percent of patients stated a noticeable impairment of psychotherapy. Face-to-face psychotherapy decreased by 56% but videoconferencing therapy was only used by 22% of patients. Enjoyable activities, virtual social contacts with friends and mild physical activities were rated as the most helpful coping strategies among those most used. DISCUSSION: Approximately one half to two-thirds of former inpatients with BN experienced a negative impact of the crisis on their ED symptomatology and quality of life. In challenging times when face-to-face therapy options are restricted, e-health treatments such as videoconferencing therapy should be considered to ensure continuity of care.

Testing an emotion regulation model of physical activity in adolescents with anorexia nervosa: A pilot ecological momentary assessment.

OBJECTIVE: Adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) often show increased levels of exercise and physical activity. Psychological models suggest that physical activity in AN might attenuate momentary negative affect. However, this has not been directly tested in adolescents with AN, and it remains unclear whether this is a distinct mechanism of physical activity in AN compared with healthy controls (HCs). METHOD: In a 1-day ecological momentary assessment, 32 adolescent inpatients with AN and 30 HCs responded to hourly questions on momentary affect while wearing an actigraph to objectively assess physical activity. RESULTS: Linear mixed models identified that adolescents with AN experienced more aversive tension, more negative affect, and less positive affect throughout the day than HCs. Preliminary evidence for a momentary association of higher levels of physical activity with positive affect were found for both groups, whereas higher levels of physical activity were associated with less negative affect in adolescents with AN only. When correcting for multiple testing, interactions did not hold statistical significance. DISCUSSION: Our results indicate a down-regulation effect of physical activity on negative affect for AN and a more general up-regulation effect of positive affect. However, our sample size was small, and replication of our findings is needed.

[Efficacy, Moderators and Mediators of Manualized Family-Based Treatments in Adolescents with Eating Disorders: A Systematic Review]. / Wirksamkeit, Moderatoren und Mediatoren manualisierter familienbasierter Therapie bei Jugendlichen mit Essstörungen: Eine systematische Übersichtsarbeit.

Family-based therapy (FBT) is currently the most evidence-based treatment for adolescents with eating disorders. The aim of this review is to summarize previous research results regarding the efficacy of the manualized FBT according to Lock and Le Grange and to report on moderators and mediators. In 5 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in anorexia nervosa (N=560) remission rates were between 21.2-42% at end of treatment, between 21.8-40% at 6-month follow-up, and between 29-49% at 12-month follow-up. Remission rates for patients with bulimia nervosa (2 RCTs, N=210) were 39%, 29-44% and 49% respectively. It would be desirable to replicate these results through independent working groups and in other countries. In addition, it would also be important to evaluate FBT in comparison to cognitive behavioral therapy and psychodynamic therapy, and to further explore strategies for non-responders.

Improving aftercare with technology for anorexia nervosa after intensive inpatient treatment: A pilot randomized controlled trial with a therapist-guided smartphone app.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of an innovative therapist-guided smartphone-based aftercare intervention following inpatient treatment of patients with severe anorexia nervosa (AN). METHOD: Forty female patients with AN (ICD-10: F50.0/F50.1) (aged: 15-36 years) were randomized either to an 8-week smartphone-based aftercare intervention (German version of "Recovery Record") with therapist feedback as an adjunct to treatment as usual (intervention group [IG]) or to treatment as usual alone (control group [CG]). Body mass index (BMI) and eating disorder (ED) symptoms were assessed at discharge (baseline), postintervention (after 8 weeks), and at 6-month follow-up. Additionally, patients' satisfaction, adherence to the smartphone-based intervention, and postdischarge health care utilization were evaluated. RESULTS: Patients showed a high level of adherence and reported a very high acceptance of the app and the aftercare intervention. We found at postintervention nonsignificant small to moderate between-group effect sizes favoring the IG regarding BMI (d = -0.24; 95% confidence interval [CI] [-0.90, 0.41]) and ED symptoms (Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire global: d = 0.56; 95% CI [-0.10, 1.22]). At 6-month follow-up, effects wore off and no significant differences between the IG and CG were evident. DISCUSSION: This was the first study to evaluate a therapist-guided smartphone-based aftercare intervention for discharged inpatients with AN. Results suggest that such an intervention is highly accepted by patients and that it could support symptom stabilization or continued improvement as an add-on therapy to treatment as usual. A larger scale randomized controlled trial is now planned to further evaluate the efficacy of this aftercare intervention for patients with AN.

Are there differences between men and women in outcome of intensive inpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa? An analysis of routine data.

OBJECTIVE: Anorexia nervosa (AN) in men is rare and understudied. We compared admission characteristics and response to specialized inpatient treatment between men and women with AN. METHOD: One hundred sixteen consecutive male patients with AN were matched to 116 female patients. Patients completed the self-rating Structured Inventory for Anorexic and Bulimic Syndromes (SIAB-S) at admission and discharge. Differences at admission and in treatment response were examined with independent samples t-tests and ANOVA for repeated measures, respectively. RESULTS: Men had lower body mass index (BMI)-percentiles (Cohen's d = -0.55), higher levels of weight suppression (d = 0.65), and higher scores in the SIAB-S general psychopathology and social integration scale (d = 0.47) at admission. There were no differences in response to treatment except for changes in BMI-percentile (F = 4.49, p = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS: There were more similarities than differences between genders in AN. Because this similarity might be confounded with traditionally "feminine" conceptualizations of AN, further studies of male AN are needed.

Weight Suppression But Not Symptom Improvement Predicts Weight Gain During Inpatient Treatment for Bulimia Nervosa.

OBJECTIVE: Fear of gaining weight is a common obstacle to seeking treatment for bulimia nervosa (BN). We investigated changes in body mass index (BMI) during inpatient treatment for BN in relation to treatment outcome and weight suppression (WS). METHODS: Female inpatients of a specialized eating disorders clinic were grouped as deteriorated/unchanged, reliably improved, and clinically significantly improved based on Eating Disorder Inventory-2 scores. Repeated measures ANOVA was employed to examine changes in BMI between admission and discharge depending on treatment outcome and WS. RESULTS: One-hundred seventy-nine patients were included. Overall, the average BMI significantly increased by 0.54 kg/m2 (SD = 1.24). Repeated measures ANOVA revealed no association of change in BMI with treatment outcome [F(df) = 1.13 (2166), p = 0.327] but with WS [F(df) = 2.76 (3166), p < 0.044]. DISCUSSION: Bulimia nervosa can be successfully treated without causing excessive weight gain. Patients with higher WS might expect somewhat more weight gain. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Intensive inpatient treatment for bulimia nervosa: Statistical and clinical significance of symptom changes.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the statistical and clinical significance of symptom changes during an intensive inpatient treatment program with a strong psychotherapeutic focus for individuals with severe bulimia nervosa. METHOD: 295 consecutively admitted bulimic patients were administered the Structured Interview for Anorexic and Bulimic Syndromes-Self-Rating (SIAB-S), the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) at treatment intake and discharge. RESULTS: Results indicated statistically significant symptom reductions with large effect sizes regarding severity of binge eating and compensatory behavior (SIAB-S), overall eating disorder symptom severity (EDI-2), overall psychopathology (BSI), and depressive symptom severity (BDI-II) even when controlling for antidepressant medication. The majority of patients showed either reliable (EDI-2: 33.7%, BSI: 34.8%, BDI-II: 18.1%) or even clinically significant symptom changes (EDI-2: 43.2%, BSI: 33.9%, BDI-II: 56.9%). Patients with clinically significant improvement were less distressed at intake and less likely to suffer from a comorbid borderline personality disorder when compared with those who did not improve to a clinically significant extent. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that intensive psychotherapeutic inpatient treatment may be effective in about 75% of severely affected bulimic patients. For the remaining non-responding patients, inpatient treatment might be improved through an even stronger focus on the reduction of comorbid borderline personality traits.

Change in obsessive beliefs as predictor and mediator of symptom change during treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder - a process-outcome study.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive models of obsessive-compulsive disorder suggest that changes in obsessive beliefs are a key mechanism of treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Thus, in the present process-outcome study, we tested whether changes in obsessive beliefs during a primarily cognitive behavioral inpatient treatment predicted treatment outcome and whether these changes mediated symptom changes over the course of treatment. METHODS: Seventy-one consecutively admitted inpatients with obsessive-compulsive disorder were assessed with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire at treatment intake, after six weeks of treatment and at discharge, and with the Beck-Depression-Inventory-II at intake and discharge. RESULTS: Changes in obsessive beliefs during the first six weeks of treatment predicted obsessive-compulsive symptoms at discharge when controlling for obsessive-compulsive and depressive symptoms at intake in a hierarchical regression analysis. Multilevel mediation analyses showed that reductions in obsessive beliefs partially mediated improvements in obsessive-compulsive symptoms over time. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that decreasing obsessive beliefs in inpatient cognitive behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder might be a promising treatment approach.