DOES INTERPERSONAL THERAPY HELP PATIENTS WITH BINGE-EATING DISORDER WHO FAIL TO RESPOND TO COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY

The aim of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the effectiven ess of group interpersonal therapy (IPT) in treating overweight patien ts with binge eating disorder who did not stop binge eating after 12 w eeks of group cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Participants in this study were randomly allocated to either group CBT or to an assessment -only control group. After 12 weeks of treatment with CBZ 55% of parti cipants met criteria for improvement and began 12 weeks of weight loss therapy, whereas the nonresponders began 12 weeks of group IPT. Over the 24-week period, participants who received treatment reduced binge eating and weight significantly more than the waiting-list control gro up. However, IPT led to no further improvement for those who did not i mprove with CBT. Predictors of poor outcome were early onset of, and m ore severe, binge eating.