Assessment and treatment of binge eating disorder in adolescence

This review provides an update on assessment and treatment approaches for binge eating disorder (BED) in youth. It includes a youth-relevant definition of binge behaviors, a discussion of diagnostic criteria, tools, and practical suggestions for assessment, and a review of the evidence for treatments for BED in adolescents.

Assessment tools specific to binge eating are limited. General eating disorder assessment tools may be useful with additional inquiry regarding loss of control. Evidence-based psychological treatments include cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal therapies; support for skills-based treatments targeting mindfulness and emotion regulation is growing. There are no FDA-approved medications for BED in youth. However, with direction from the adult literature, stimulant medication has the strongest emerging position.

Loss of control and binge eating are common behaviors among youth, and BED is a common eating disorder in this population. New assessment approaches better tailored to adolescents have improved the identification of BED in this population. Although smaller than the treatment literature for adults, the growing body of research on psychological and medical interventions portends a positive path forward in treating youth with BED.