A randomized controlled comparison of family-based treatment and supportive psychotherapy for adolescent bulimia nervosa.

CONTEXT: Evidenced-based treatment trials for adolescents with bulimia nervosa are largely absent.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the relative efficacy of family-based treatment (FBT) and supportive psychotherapy (SPT) for adolescents with bulimia nervosa.

DESIGN

Randomized controlled trial.

SETTING

The University of Chicago from April 1, 2001, through June 30, 2006.

PARTICIPANTS

Eighty patients, aged 12 to 19 years, with a DSM-IV diagnosis of bulimia nervosa or a strict definition of partial bulimia nervosa.

INTERVENTIONS: Twenty outpatient visits over 6 months of FBT or SPT. Participants were followed up at 6 months posttreatment.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Abstinence from binge-and-purge episodes as measured by the Eating Disorder Examination. Secondary outcome measures were Eating Disorder Examination binge-and-purge frequency and Eating Disorder Examination subscale scores.

RESULTS

Forty-one patients were assigned to FBT and 39 to SPT. Categorical outcomes at posttreatment demonstrated that significantly more patients receiving FBT (16 [39%]) were binge-and-purge abstinent compared with those receiving SPT (7 [18%]) (P = .049). Somewhat fewer patients were abstinent at the 6-month follow-up; however, the difference was statistically in favor of FBT vs SPT (12 patients [29%] vs 4 patients [10%]; P = .05). Secondary outcome assessment, based on random regression analysis, revealed main effects in favor of FBT on all measures of eating pathological features (P = .003 to P = .03 for all).

CONCLUSIONS

Family-based treatment showed a clinical and statistical advantage over SPT at posttreatment and at 6-month follow-up. Reduction in core bulimic symptoms was also more immediate for patients receiving FBT vs SPT.