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[Efficacy of intervention with externalization therapy for eating disorders]
Haruhisa Ono1, Kazushige Kojima, Yutaka Higashi
1Department of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University.
Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi = Psychiatria Et Neurologia Japonica
|February 5, 2004
Summary
Externalization therapy effectively reduced eating disorder symptoms in patients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. This therapeutic approach showed sustained benefits for six months, proving effective across various illness severities.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Therapeutic Interventions
Background:
- Externalization is an established therapeutic technique used in various psychological fields.
- Recent years have seen increased application of externalization in brief therapy, family therapy, and psycho-education.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of externalization as an initial therapeutic intervention for patients diagnosed with eating disorders.
- To assess the impact of externalization on symptom reduction in anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) patients.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 25 patients with eating disorders (11 AN, 14 BN) received intervention with externalization at the start of therapy.
- The Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) was administered at baseline, the 10th session, and a six-month follow-up.
Main Results:
- Externalization intervention led to significant reductions in total EDI scores and all subscale scores.
- Significant differences were observed in EDI subscale scores between AN and BN patients, with therapy being less effective for AN, particularly the restricting type.
- Symptom reduction was maintained for six months, with further significant decreases noted in AN patients from the 10th session to follow-up.
- The intervention's effectiveness was consistent regardless of comorbid personality disorders or illness severity.
Conclusions:
- Initial intervention with externalization is a highly effective method for treating eating disorders.
- The positive effects of externalization therapy are sustained over a six-month period.
- Externalization demonstrates broad applicability in treating diverse eating disorder presentations, including those with personality disorder complications.