Researchers from the University of California discovered that involving parents in treatment of adolescents with bulimia nervosa is more effective than treating the patients individually.
"Parents need to be actively involved in the treatment of kids and teens with eating disorders," said Daniel Le Grange, PhD, Benioff UCSF Professor in children's health in the departments of psychiatry and pediatrics at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco said. "This study shows definitively that parental engagement is imperative for a successful outcome of adolescents with bulimia nervosa. It goes counter to the training that physicians receive in psychiatry, which teaches that parents are to blame for bulimia, and therefore should be omitted from treatment."
Bulimia is characterized by recurrent episodes of uncontrolled overeating called binge episodes. Compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, laxative or diuretic abuse, fasting or intense exercising, then follows.
"Between one and three percent of teens suffer from the condition each year in the United States, and most develop the disorder during their adolescence," Pulse Headlines said. "Because the nature of bulimia is so secretive and the majority of bulimic adolescents remain at a healthy weight, many teens live with the disorder for years before their parents recognize the signs."
The study took place at The University of Chicago and Stanford University. It compared two treatments on 130 adolescents aging 12 to 18 with bulimia nervosa, family based therapy (FBT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
CBT focuses on the individual patient and stresses skills trainings which helps patients gain an in-depth knowledge of themselves together with the irrational thoughts which are causing them to purge and binge. FBT, on the other hand, works with parents to understand the severity of the disorder and learn how to best support their kids on a daily basis to support healthy habits and keep them medically safe.
Results revealed that participants in family based therapy achieved higher abstinence rates from purging and binging than the patients in individual cognitive based therapy.
"These findings are quite clear," Professor Daniel said. "FBT is the treatment of choice for adolescents with bulimia nervosa, because it works quicker and faster and maintains its impact over time. CBT could be a useful alternative if FBT were not available, but it needs to be recognized that it doesn't work quite as fast and takes time to catch up."
He added that it is imperative to reduce to purging and binging behaviors quickly when treating patients suffering from bulimia nervosa, otherwise it could lead to premature death.
"Every time a patient throws up, there is a risk to rupturing the esophagus, causing electrolyte imbalance and cardiac arrhythmia that can cause death," Prof Daniel explained. "The quicker we can intervene, the better chances we have at keeping a patient safe."
Other authors of the study include James Lock, MD, PhD, professor of psychiatry, W. Stewart Agras, MD, Susan Bryson MD and Booil Jo PhD, all of Stanford University. Grants from the National Institute of Mental Health provided the funding support.