The Multi

Abstract

This study provides preliminary data regarding the efficacy of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) adapted for the treatment of binge-eating disorder (BED). Eleven women with BED participated in this uncontrolled trial and were administered the Eating Disorder Examination together with measures of weight, mood, and affect regulation at baseline and posttreatment. Data on binge eating and weight were also collected at 3-and 6-month follow-up. There were no dropouts from treatment and 82% of the women were no longer binge eating by treatment end. Improvement in emotion regulation was also evidenced posttreatment. The improvement in binge eating was maintained during follow-up. These results lend support for continued research into the applications of DBT for treating BED. Binge-eating disorder (BED) is a proposed new diagnostic category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994). The principal feature in BED, binge eating, is defined exactly as it is for bulimia nervosa (BN), the consumption of a large amount of food accompanied by a sense of loss of control over eating. In addition to recurrent binge-eating episodes, the research criteria for BED include indicators of impaired control over eating, significant distress about the binge eating, and the absence of regular compensatory behaviors. Most individuals with BED are overweight and research has demonstrated that the prevalence of binge eating increases with the severity of obesity (Bruce &