Effects of feedback assisted treatment on post-treatment outcome for eating disordered inpatients: A follow-up study. Cogent Psychology, (2016).

Megan M. Bowen, Michael J. Lambert, Arjan Berkeljon, Tyler E. Orr, Michael Berrett and Witold Simon

Abstract: Only one randomized clinical trial (RCT) has examined feedback-assisted (Fb) treatment in an inpatient eating disordered population. Results from this study suggested that those who received Fb treatment were more likely to recover than participants in the treatment-as-usual condition; however, long-term effects of this treatment have not been investigated. This is especially pertinent in eating disor dered populations, where outcomes tend to be poor and course of illness chronic. In the current study, fifty-three women from the aforementioned RCT were contacted three to four years after leaving inpatient care to assess their current distress level and psychological functioning. Results suggested no significant difference between treatment conditions. The vast majority of women sought out multiple forms of treatment over the follow-up period, regardless of treatment condition. This is consistent with past research suggesting that women with more severe pathology (i.e. those requiring inpatient treatment) tend to experience a more chronic pattern of symptoms even after intensive treatment. Overall, the superiority of feedback-as sisted treatment found at discharge diminished over time and could not be detected at follow-up. Suggestions for further research are delineated