Compliance with a self-care manual in guided self-change for bulimia nervosa

Objective: To investigate the effect of compliance and its predictors on ou tcome. Method: Sixty-two patients with DSM-III-R bulimia nervosa (BN) were randoml y assigned to a self-care manual plus eight fortnightly sessions of guided self-change or 16 sessions of weekly cognitive behavioral therapy. Results: At the end of treatment, the group of high compliers had not achie ved higher abstinence rates than low compliers regarding BN symptoms. At fo llow-up oil average 43 weeks (SD=26 weeks) after the end of therapy, those who had completed more exercises were more likely than low compliers to be abstinent from bingeing and vomiting. Those with a high frequency of vomiti ng at the beginning of therapy were less likely to use the manual while tho se with a longer duration of illness and higher levels of restraint were mo re likely to use the manual. Discussion: Exercises seem to be particularly important. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.