Individualized treatment of eating disorders.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study is to determine how a comprehensive approach comprising a combination of a particular psychotherapeutic programme and antidepressant treatment influences the signs and symptoms of eating disorders.

METHODS: Inpatients entering a particular 6-week programme were assessed using body mass index (BMI), Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI), Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and psychological symptoms using Symptom Checklist (SCL-90).

RESULTS: In the whole group (n=84) the mean BMI remained stable (17.9, 17.8). There was a significant effect of TIME in the repeated measures ANOVA with most of dependent variables. The "TREATMENT" had no effect (antidepressants, no antidepressants) and there was no significant interaction between "TREATMENT" and "TIME". Post-hoc analysis revealed significant differences between baseline and end-point values of all but two EDI, all EAT items and some SCL dimensions in the antidepressant-treated group.

CONCLUSIONS: The comprehensive and individualized approach is able to achieve weight stabilization, and improvement in attitudes, pathological eating behaviour and psychopathology.