BULIMIA-NERVOSA - COMPARISON OF TREATMENT RESPONDERS VS NONRESPONDERS

Though psychosocial and psychopharmacological treatments are effective in reducing bulimic symptomatology, bulimic patients often have unrem itting behaviors and frequently relapse. The authors sought to identif y factors that differentiate bulimic patients who improve while receiv ing treatment from those who do not. Ninety-eight treatment-seeking bu limic patients were studied as part of a prospective, naturalistic, lo ngitudinal study of eating disorders. Bulimic patients who had drug tr eatment within the first 13 weeks were more likely to demonstrate sust ained recovery over the course of the first year than those who did no t have pharmacotherapy. This study suggests that drug therapy may have a differential effect on the outcome of bulimia nervosa; further stud y is necessary, however, to ascertain the presence of selection bias.