Clinical implications of psychosocial research on bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder.

Bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder are characterized by a persistent course, are associated with comorbid psychopathology, and can result in serious medical complications. Although current treatments for these disorders show promise, they are not effective for approximately 40% of clients. Significant advances have been made in psychosocial research on the etiology and maintenance of bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder, as well as on the predictors of treatment response. This article reviews these advances and discusses the clinical implications of these findings. Research on etiology and maintenance suggests that eating-disorder treatments might be improved by focusing greater attention on promoting healthy weight-control techniques, increasing resiliency to sociocultural pressures to be thin, reducing thin-ideal internalization, and fostering adaptive affect-regulation skills. Research on the predictors of response to treatment suggests that matching treatments to client characteristics might further bolster intervention effectiveness.