Treatment of Bulimia Nervosa in a Primary Care Setting

Summary

Bulimia Nervosa is a frequent problem for young women. It is widely assumed that this disorder cannot be treated effectively in a primary care setting. This assumption has never been tested empirically, and is probably incorrect. In the last 15 years, effective treatment interventions for Bulimia Nervosa have been developed and validated in specialized treatment centers. The broad aim of this proposal is to examine whether these treatments, suitably adapted, can be usefully transferred to general health care settings. Specifically, the proposed study will determine the relative and combined effectiveness of the two leading treatments for Bulimia Nervosa in a primary care setting. The two major interventions are treatment with an antidepressant medication, fluoxetine, and with a form of cognitive behavioral therapy, guided self-help, designed for use in primary care.

Timeline

Start

1998-03

Primary completion

—

Completion

2001-12

Publications

• Background Waller D, Fairburn CG, McPherson A, Kay R, Lee A, Nowell T. Treating bulimia nervosa in primary care: a pilot study. Int J Eat Disord. 1996 Jan;19(1):99-103. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1098-108X(199601)19:13.0.CO;2-L.

Drugs

Indications