Programme‐Led and Focused Interventions for Recent Onset Binge/Purge Eating Disorders: Use and Outcomes in the First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for Eating Disorders (FREED) Network.

ABSTRACT Objective Method Results Discussion We aimed to compare use of, and outcomes from, programme‐led and focused interventions (guided self‐help and 10 session cognitive behavioral therapy for eating disorders [CBT‐T]) relative to other psychological therapies (including group and individual CBT for eating disorders [CBT‐ED]) in a national sample of emerging adults receiving early intervention for a non‐underweight binge/purge eating disorder.Data were drawn from 54 English eating disorder services using the First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for Eating Disorders (FREED) model. Participants (N = 1097) had a mean age of 18.95 years (SD 2.42) and diagnoses of bulimia nervosa (n = 506; 45%), binge eating disorder (n = 121; 11%), another specified feeding or eating disorder (n = 460; 42%), or an eating disorder, unspecified (n = 10, 1%). Linear mixed models were used to assess for effects of time and treatment on binge eating and purging, eating disorder psychopathology, depression/anxiety, and body mass index.11% (n = 117) of patients received guided self‐help and 24% (n = 268) received CBT‐T. Baseline eating disorder psychopathology and depressive/anxiety symptoms did not differ significantly across the guided self‐help, CBT‐T, group CBT‐ED, and individual CBT‐ED conditions. All treatments were associated with significant reductions in symptoms over time. GSH and CBT‐T performed comparably to longer CBT‐ED.We provide additional evidence for the effectiveness of GSH and CBT‐T in the treatment of non‐underweight binge/purge eating disorders. Programme‐led and focused interventions may be under‐utilized and future research should explore when they are offered, and when not, both within and outside of early intervention settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]