Cognitive-behavioral therapy for bulimia nervosa: an empirical analysis of clinical significance.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this review was to assess the clinical significance of cognitive-behavioral therapy for bulimia nervosa using the reliable change index and normative comparison analyses.

METHOD: Fifteen treatment outcome studies using either individual or group cognitive-behavioral therapy for bulimia nervosa were selected for inclusion.

RESULTS

Results suggest that cognitive-behavioral therapy for bulimia nervosa produces clinically significant change for many treatment outcome measures when using the reliable change index. However, posttreatment symptomatology is rarely within a normative range when examined with normative comparison analyses.

DISCUSSION: This review provides a first step in examining the clinical significance of treatment for bulimia nervosa. Future studies should further this work by comparing the clinical significance of different types of treatment for bulimia nervosa using additional assessment measures.