Self-help interventions for the treatment of binge eating

Abstract

Self-help interventions (SHIs) represent established psychological treatments for binge-eating disorder (BED) and bulimia nervosa (BN) with demonstrated short- and long-term efficacy. Implemented via self-help books, the internet, or smartphone applications, SHIs are highly accessible and may thus be suited to overcome patient- and providerrelated barriers in traditional face-to-face psychological treatments. SHIs can be offered with or without professional guidance, with some evidence on more favorable outcomes with higher degrees of guidance. Key limitations of SHIs include low acceptability and participation, depicted through insufficient treatment engagement and completion as well as patient adherence, and should, therefore, be further investigated and enhanced. Predictors of outcome, including treatment-specific moderators and mediators, are largely unclear. The individual tailoring of interventions and their components to individual patients is part of the high potential of technology-based SHIs, although these remain underutilized and understudied. Cost-effectiveness compared to minimal treatment was suggested for SHIs and might be increased using complex models of care including SHIs. In sum, more research is needed to understand and further establish SHIs as psychological approaches to the treatment of BED and BN.