Co-occurring Eating Disorders and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Facilitating Full and Sustained Recovery Through Empirically-Based Concurrent Treatment

Detailed Summary

Although psychotherapy for eating disorders (EDs) can be effective, approximately 50% of those who complete a course of the best available therapy continue to have significant ED symptoms at the end of treatment. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) commonly co-occurs with EDs and is thought to be one reason why some individuals do not remit from their ED with best available treatment or relapse following treatment. In particular, ED behaviours can function as coping methods for PTSD symptoms, and thus interfere with successful and lasting ED recovery. The main objective of this initial treatment trial is to determine whether a concurrent treatment approach, in which PTSD symptoms are treated at the same time as ED symptoms, provides an advantage over standard ED treatment by successfully alleviating PTSD symptoms. Forty participants who have both an ED and PTSD will be assigned to receive either (1) standard ED psychotherapy alone or (2) standard ED psychotherapy concurrent with PTSD psychotherapy. After treatment, participants will be followed for a period of 6 months to determine whether improvements made during therapy are maintained after treatment. ED and PTSD symptoms, as well as concomitant symptoms (e.g., anxiety and depression) will be assessed immediately before and after treatment, as well as 3 and 6 months after treatment.

Study Details

Timeline

Interventions