Bulimia nervosa: comparison of treatment responders vs. nonresponders

Though psychosocial and psychopharmacological treatments are effective in reducing bulimic symptomatology, bulimic patients often have unremitting behaviors and frequently relapse. The authors sought to identify factors that differentiate bulimic patients who improve while receiving treatment from those who do not. Ninety-eight treatment-seeking bulimic patients were studied as part of a prospective, naturalistic, longitudinal study of eating disorders. Bulimic patients who had drug treatment within the first 13 weeks were more likely to demonstrate sustained recovery over the course of the first year than those who did not have pharmacotherapy. This study suggests that drug therapy may have a differential effect on the outcome of bulimia nervosa; further study is necessary, however, to ascertain the presence of selection bias.