Eating disorders

Progress has been made in the identification of effective interventions for eating disorders; however, there remains much room for improvement. Several research groups have begun to examine dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) as a treatment option for individuals with varying disordered eating diagnoses in the form of case studies, open trials, and randomized, controlled trials. Most applications or adaptations of DBT in eating disorder populations have been successful in reducing core eating disorder and other psychiatric symptoms. Therefore DBT shows promise for these persistent disorders. However, there still have been relatively few studies in this area and there remains a need for direct comparisons of different forms of DBT to other efficacious treatments for eating disorders (i.e., cognitive behavior therapy and family-based therapy). In addition, the mechanisms of action for DBT for eating disorders remain unclear and more research is needed to understand for whom this approach is best suited.