Emerging Psychological Treatments in Eating Disorders.

The authors present the theoretic model, structure of treatment, and preliminary evidence for several emerging treatments that are increasingly being used and studied in eating disorders treatment, including dialectical behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, integrative cognitive-affective therapy, and neuromodulation. In addition, the article discusses treatments that address mindfulness, interpersonal factors, and habit.

Examining the conceptual model of integrative cognitive-affective therapy for BN: Two assessment studies.

OBJECTIVE: Two studies sought to examine predictions of the Integrative Cognitive-Affective Therapy (ICAT) model, which views bulimic symptoms in terms of inter-relations between self-concept discrepancies, negative affect, and self-directed coping styles. The present results examine assessment-related predictions of this model. METHOD: Individuals with bulimic symptoms were compared to noneating disorder control participants in two studies involving central constructs of the ICAT model. RESULTS: In both studies, bulimic individuals displayed higher levels of self-discrepancy and negative self-directed styles, supporting predictions of the model. Also predicted by the model, negative mood states mediated relations between bulimic status and negative self-directed coping styles in Study 2. CONCLUSION: Assessment-related predictions of the ICAT model of bulimic symptoms were supported in two studies. These initial results support further tests of the model in longitudinal designs, contrasts of different clinical populations, and treatment-evaluation studies.

Sexual trauma, spirituality, and psychopathology.

This study assessed the association between spirituality and psychopathology in a group of sexual abuse victims and controls with a focus on whether spirituality moderated the association between sexual trauma and psychopathology. Seventy-one sexual trauma victims were compared to 25 control subjects on spiritual well-being, the Eating Disorder Examination, the PTSD Symptom Scale, and the SCID-I/P. The data showed that the two groups did not differ in terms of spiritual well-being. Sexual trauma status was associated with most of the psychopathology outcomes, but its impact on psychopathology was largely unmoderated by spirituality. Among sexual trauma victims, the level of spiritual well-being did not alter the probability of current psychopathology. However, increased spiritual well-being was generally associated with lower psychopathology for the entire sample.

The eating disorders medicine cabinet revisited: a clinician's guide to appetite suppressants and diuretics.

OBJECTIVE: This article explores the frequencies of use of alternative medications, available products, and their potential toxicities. METHOD: Survey data were gathered from 39 consecutive patients diagnosed with bulimia nervosa who were seeking treatment. A survey of area outlets (health food stores, pharmacies, grocery stores) was conducted to establish a database of available agents. Putative active ingredients were identified. MEDLINE literature searches, as well as reviews of specialized texts, were performed to identify the potential toxicities of the ingredients. RESULTS: Diet pill use was found in 64% of patients; 18 % reported use in the past month. The survey identified 167 products. Diuretic use was found in 31% of patients; 21% reported use in the past month. Twenty-five diuretic products were identified. DISCUSSION: Alternative medicines are frequently used in the population of patients seeking treatment for bulimia nervosa. An abundance of products are available with potentially significant toxicities.