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How effective is bibliotherapy-based self-help cognitive behavioral therapy with Internet support in clinical settings? Results from a pilot study

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Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Cognitive behavioral therapy-based guided self-help (CBT-GSH) via the Internet has been shown to be effective in the treatment of bulimia nervosa (BN) and similar eating disorders (EDs), but it is rarely offered, and little is known about the effects, in clinical settings. The present study investigated the effects of a bibliotherapy-based CBT-GSH with Internet support in a clinical setting. Participants were 48 adult outpatients who were recruited without randomization from a specialized ED clinic, diagnosed with BN or similar eating disorder. Forty-eight patients in an intensive day patient program (DPP) were used as comparison group. The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and the Eating Disorder Inventory 2 measured pre- and post treatment symptoms. Results showed that both groups attained significant improvements in core- as well as related ED symptoms in both instruments. As expected, treatment effects were larger in the more intensive DPP. Nonetheless, bibliotherapy CBT-GSH appears to be a cost-effective treatment that represents a new way to provide more CBT in clinical settings.

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Notes

  1. Analyses were performed to see whether use of SSRI (29 % of patients in CBT-GSH and 75 % in DPP) significantly affected outcome. No such effects were found.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank participants in CBT-GSH and DPP, the management, recruiting- and administrative staff at Stockholm Centre for Eating Disorders, and psychologist Elisabet Lannfelt at Resource Centre for Eating Disorders for making the current study possible. Financial support was provided for clinical research by Stockholm County Council and partly from a government grant via Stockholm County Council board administration.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Karolinska Institutet, KÄTS Z8:02, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset Solna, 171 76, Stockholm, Sweden

    Louise Högdahl & Andreas Birgegård

  2. The National Board of Institutional Care, Box 16363, 103 26, Stockholm, Sweden

    Caroline Björck

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  1. Louise Högdahl
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  2. Andreas Birgegård
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  3. Caroline Björck
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Correspondence to Louise Högdahl.

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Högdahl, L., Birgegård, A. & Björck, C. How effective is bibliotherapy-based self-help cognitive behavioral therapy with Internet support in clinical settings? Results from a pilot study. Eat Weight Disord 18, 37–44 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-013-0005-3

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