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Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Using the Activity-based Anorexia Rodent Model to Study the Neurobiological Basis of Anorexia Nervosa
Published on: October 22, 2015
Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) for outpatients with anorexia nervosa: a systematic review and meta-analysis of
Heather C Duggan1, Gillian Hardy1, Glenn Waller1
1School of Psychology, University of Sheffield, ICOSS Building, 219 Portobello, Sheffield S1 4DP, UK.
Abstract:
Anorexia nervosa is commonly treated using outpatient cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), but its effectiveness needs to be established. This systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO CRD42023484924) assessed outpatient CBT's effectiveness for anorexia nervosa and explored potential moderators (pre-treatment Body Mass Index (BMI), age, illness duration, protocol duration of therapy, dropout). Searches (SCOPUS, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, grey literature) identified 26 studies reporting pre- to post-treatment outcomes for at least one primary measure (weight, eating disorder symptoms). Studies were medium to high quality. Secondary outcome data (depression, anxiety, quality of life) were also extracted. Meta-analyses (26 studies) found medium to large post-treatment effect sizes for weight (g = 0.87; 95% CI 0.67-1.08) and eating disorder symptoms (g = -0.74; 95% CI -0.93 - -0.54), with change starting early and increasing to follow-up. Effect sizes for secondary outcome measures were medium to large. Pre-treatment BMI moderated weight gain. This review was constrained by excluding non-English language papers and the limited number of papers reporting minimum data for inclusion. Overall, results suggest an optimistic picture for patients with anorexia nervosa treated with outpatient CBT. Clinicians can expect good outcomes using CBT, regardless of patients' starting weight, age, or illness duration.
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