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A trial of a relapse prevention strategy in women with bulimia nervosa who respond to cognitive-behavior therapy

  1. James E. Mitchell1,*,
  2. W. Stewart Agras2,
  3. G. Terence Wilson3,
  4. Katherine Halmi4,
  5. Helena Kraemer2,
  6. Scott Crow5

Article first published online: 15 APR 2004

DOI: 10.1002/eat.10265

Issue

International Journal of Eating Disorders

International Journal of Eating Disorders

Special Issue: Featuring Abstracts from the 2004 International Conference on Eating Disorders

Volume 35, Issue 4, pages 549–555, May 2004

Additional Information

How to Cite

Mitchell, J. E., Agras, W. S., Wilson, G. T., Halmi, K., Kraemer, H. and Crow, S. (2004), A trial of a relapse prevention strategy in women with bulimia nervosa who respond to cognitive-behavior therapy. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 35: 549–555. doi: 10.1002/eat.10265

Author Information

  1. 1

    Neuropsychiatric Research Institute and the Department of Neurosciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Fargo, North Dakota

  2. 2

    Department of Psychiatry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California

  3. 3

    Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey

  4. 4

    Department of Psychiatry, Cornell University, Medical School, White Plains, New York

  5. 5

    Department of Psychiatry, The University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Minneapolis, Minnesota

*Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, 700 First Avenue South, P.O. Box 1415, Fargo, ND, 58107-1415

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 15 APR 2004
  2. Article first published online: 15 APR 2004
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 14 JUN 2003

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Keywords:

  • relapse prevention;
  • cognitive-behavior therapy;
  • bulimia nervosa

Abstract

Objective

This study examines a relapse prevention strategy for bulimia nervosa (BN). Subjects in a multicenter BN treatment trial who initially achieved abstinence after a course of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) were told to recontact the clinic if they had a recurrence of symptoms or feared such a reoccurrence so that they could receive additional therapy visits.

Method

At the end of CBT, subjects whose scores on the Eating Disorders Examination indicated that they were abstinent from binge eating and purging, and therefore considered to be treated successfully, were assigned randomly to follow-up only or to a crisis intervention model. With the crisis intervention model, subjects would receive additional visits if needed.

Results

None of the 30 subjects who relapsed during the follow-up sought additional treatment visits.

Discussion

Simply telling patients with BN who appear to have been successfully treated to come back if they have additional problems, or fear that they are developing such problems, may be an ineffective relapse prevention technique. Alternative strategies, such as planned return visits or phone calls, should be considered as alternative relapse prevention strategies. © 2004 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 35: 549–555, 2004.

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