Experiences when implementing enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy as a standard treatment for anorexia nervosa in outpatients at a public specialized eating-disorder treatment unit

Abstract

Plain English summary Anorexia nervosa (AN) is difficult to treat, and no specific treatment approach has been demonstrated to be superior for adult outpatients. However, outcome data indicate that enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-E) is a viable and promising treatment option for adults with AN, and its efficacy has been indicated in cohort studies and randomized controlled trials. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of CBT-E as a standard treatment for adult outpatients with AN from the specialized eating-disorder unit of a public hospital with responsibilities to their catchment area. Outpatient CBT-E was administered to 33 patients in a course of 40 sessions. Although 27% of the included patients had satisfactory treatment outcomes (healthy weights and reduced eating-disorder symptoms), more than two-thirds of all patients terminated treatment early. Several aspects of CBT-E as a standard treatment are discussed regarding this high dropout rate.

Keywords

• Anorexia nervosa
• Enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy
• CBT-E
• Treatment dropout