Psychoeducatlon in binge eating disorder: Factors predicting efficacy

Objective: The aim of this study is to identify the factors that influence the effectiveness of group psychoeducation, defined as absence of binge eating, at the end and one year after therapy, in subjects with binge eating disorder (BED). Also was evaluated the correlation between binge eating and obesity, assessing which factors may be predictors for satisfyingly weight loss. Methods: A total of 26 patients were included in the study (Table I). Subjects who continued binge eating at the end of the therapy (t1) were defined as non-responsive patients (NR); those who continued binge eating one year after therapy (t2) were defined as non-abstinent patients (NA) (Fig. 1). The predictor factors were divided into clinical and psychometric variables. The following clinical data were considered: years of dieting and binge eating, body mass index (BMI) and the frequency of binge eating at the beginning of therapy (t0). The psychometric data analysed were: eating aptitude and behaviour (EDI-2), alexithymia (TAS-20), family support (FA), anxiety and depression (HADS). These data were estimated at t0 and t1. Results: The NR (n = 6; 23.1%) were attributed higher scores in the anxiety subclassification (HADS) at t0. The NA (n = 7; 26.9%) presented a higher rate and a higher number of years of binge eating, furthermore they had a lower level of family support at t0. No patients had a satisfactory weight loss at t1; 19.2% of the patients lost weight at t2 (Table II). Conclusions: The present study confirms, as observed in other studies, that clinical parameters, like the rate and number of years of binge eating at the beginning of therapy, are predictor factors for maintenance of effectiveness one year after treatment. Furthermore, anxiety before therapy results in a lower response to treatment and poor family support is associated with inadequate results of maintenance one year after therapy. No association between weight loss and disappearance of binge eating was observed. Thus, these parameters may be used by the clinician to identify a population of patients who need another therapeutic approach, with integrated and long interventions.