A CONTROLLED EVALUATION OF HYPNOBEHAVIOURAL TREATMENT FOR BULIMIA-NERVOSA - IMMEDIATE PRE-POST-TREATMENT EFFECTS

The study reports the pre-post findings from a controlled comparative evaluation of treatments for bulimia nervosa. These pre-post results a llow comparison of the hypnobehavioural and cognitive behavioural trea tments with a waiting list control group and a comparison of the immed iate effects of the two modalities. One hundred and thirty subjects we re screened to enter the study. Seventy-eight subjects entered the inv estigation after being randomly allocated to either a waiting list con trol group, or to hypnobehavioural or cognitive behavioural groups. Th e treatments were delivered individually and matched in duration (8 we eks) and the number of sessions. Pre to posttreatment outcome indicate d significant differences between the control group and the two treatm ents in reductions in bulimic behaviours and related eating pathology. The immediate effects of both treatments were equal. There were no di fferences at posttreatment between the treatments in abstinence from e ither bingeing or purging. The treatment effects were also similar to the immediate effects obtained by longer therapeutic approaches.