Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 1, 2026

A Treatment Package without Escape Extinction to Address Food Selectivity
Published on: August 21, 2015
Sequencing of cognitive-behavioral treatments for bulimia nervosa
Objective:
This study investigated the efficacy of a stepped-care trial of brief group psychoeducation (PE) followed by individual cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in the treatment of bulimia nervosa.
Method:
Fifty-six subjects first completed PE and were then randomly assigned to either a 16-week trial of CBT (PE + CBT) or to no further treatment follow-up (PE-alone).
Results:
Compared to PE-alone, PE + CBT produced significantly greater reductions in the specific eating symptoms of binging and purging and significantly higher remission rates that were maintained over a 16-week follow-up. However, there were no differential treatment effects on measures of nonspecific psychopathology. Among PE + CBT subjects, remission in specific eating symptoms was associated with greatest improvements in non-specific psychopathology. The outcome of nonremitted PE + CBT subjects and PE-alone subjects was no different at posttreatment or follow-up.
Discussion:
These results provide limited support for offering individual CBT to subjects once they have completed an initial trial of group PE.
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