Definition
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a psychotherapy treatment that focuses on modifying eating disorder behaviors and thought patterns, especially those that maintain eating disorder symptoms. Components of CBT include self-monitoring, planned meal consumption, regular weighing, reducing dietary restriction and restraint, cognitive restructuring, problem-solving, eliminating avoidance and checking behaviors, addressing the overevaluation of shape and weight, and relapse prevention (Fairburn 2008; Fairburn et al. 1993; Garner et al. 1997). CBT for eating disorders has been administered in individual, group, and self-help/guided self-help formats for both adults and youth.
Historical Background
CBT manuals for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa were originally adapted from CBT manuals for the treatment of depression and anxiety and were first published in the 1980s. At that time, CBT for eating disorders became more widely used clinically and began to be tested in...
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Reference and Further Reading
Beintner, I., Jacobi, C., & Schmidt, U. H. (2014). Participation and outcome in manualized self-help for bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder: A systematic review and metaregression analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 34, 158–176.
Fairburn, C. G. (2008). Cognitive behavior therapy and eating disorders. New York: Guilford.
Fairburn, C. G. (2013). Overcoming binge eating (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford.
Fairburn, C. G., Marcus, M. D., & Wilson, G. T. (1993). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for binge eating and bulimia nervosa: A comprehensive treatment manual. In C. G. Fairburn & G. T. Wilson (Eds.), Binge eating: Nature, assessment, and treatment (pp. 361–404). New York: Guilford.
Garner, D. M., Vitousek, K. M., & Pike, K. M. (1997). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anorexia nervosa. In D. M. Garner & P. E. Garfinkel (Eds.), Handbook for treatment of eating disorders (pp. 94–144). New York: Guilford.
Hay, P. (2013). A systematic review of evidence for psychological treatments in eating disorders: 2005–2012. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 46, 462–469.
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Keel, P. K., & Haedt, A. (2008). Evidence-based psychosocial treatments for eating problems and eating disorders. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 37, 39–61.
National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). (2004). Eating disorders – Core interventions in the treatment and management of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, related eating disorders (NICE Clinical Guideline No. 9). London: NICE.
Reas, D. L., & Grilo, C. M. (2015). Pharmacological treatment of binge eating disorder: Update review and synthesis. Expert Opinion in Pharmacotherapy, 4, 1–16.
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Peterson, C.B., Berg, K.C., Pisetsky, E.M. (2015). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. In: Wade, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Feeding and Eating Disorders. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-087-2_57-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-087-2_57-1
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