Effectiveness of enhanced cognitive behaviour therapy for patients aged 14 to 25: A promising treatment for anorexia nervosa in transition‐age youth

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveThe study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of enhanced cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT‐E) on patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) aged 14 to 25 treated in a real‐world setting.MethodOne hundred and fifteen patients with AN (n = 61, age <18 years) were recruited from consecutive referrals to a clinical eating disorder service offering outpatient CBT‐E. Body Mass Index (BMI), BMI centiles, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, Brief Symptom Inventory, and Clinical Impairment Assessment scores were recorded at admission, at the end of treatment, and at 20‐week follow‐up.ResultsThe seventy‐two patients (62.6%) who finished the programme showed considerable weight gain and reduced scores for clinical impairment and eating‐disorder and general psychopathology. Changes remained stable at 20 weeks. A comparison between adolescent and adult patients indicates similar improvements in eating‐disorder psychopathology.ConclusionsThe benchmark data yielded by this study suggest that CBT‐E is a well‐accepted and promising treatment that could be adopted to ensure continuity of care across the transitional age.