Dimensions of response to antidepressant agents in bulimia nervosa: a review

Many patients suffering from bulimia nervosa benefit from treatment with antidepressant medication. Nurses, like other mental health clinicians, tend to assess the effectiveness of a pharmacologic agent in patients with bulimia nervosa by the decline in the frequency of binge eating episodes. Clinical descriptions and research reports suggest the possibility of additional behavioral dimensions of treatment responsiveness, although the extent to which associated behaviors or symptoms improve is not well documented. This paper examines 16 placebo-controlled pharmacological trials in patients with bulimia nervosa to evaluate a range of potential measures of response to antidepressant intervention.