E-Therapy Works For Eating Disorders, Report Suggests
Many of those who suffer from eating disorders require therapy, but many do not get the therapy they need due to time constraints or the discomforts of leaving the house. A new study suggests that e-therapy, or internet based therapy, is effective in treating bulimia, and may be effective for other forms of eating disorders as well.
Researchers at the University of Amsterdam looked at e-therapy on a group of 105 patients suffering from bulimia. Of the 105, nearly 3 out of 4 showed improvement compared to the control group.
The authors of the study said, “Internet-delivered treatment may provide an acceptable treatment alternative for bulimic patients who are reticent about face-to-face contact.” The study also found that those patients whose treatment options used therapists were more likely to adhere to the plan of treatment and were overall more effective than non-therapist treatment options. This includes bibliotherapy, the using of books and other literature to address interpersonal skills and personal goals.
Eating Disorder Self Test. Take the EAT-26 self test to see if you might have eating disorder symptoms that might require professional evaluation. All answers are confidential.