Treatment outcomes for adolescent bulimia nervosa: a systematic scoping review of quantitative findings

Love, Madeleine; Baudinet, Julian

doi:10.1186/s40337-025-01236-8

Journal of Eating Disorders

Table 2 Summary of study characteristics and demographics

From: Treatment outcomes for adolescent bulimia nervosa: a systematic scoping review of quantitative findings

Author	Country	Year	Design	N	Age^b	Range	%F	Intervention focus^c			Setting	Tx Duration	Follow-up post-EOT
Author	Country	Year	Design	N	Age^b	Range	%F	Family-focused	Individual		Setting	Tx Duration	Follow-up post-EOT
Randomised controlled trials
Field et al	USA	1998	RCT	24	nr	16–21	100%	-	Massage + TAU	TAU	Residential	5 weeks	Nil
Johnson et al	USA	1998	RCT	13	17	nr	100%	EFFT	Group-CBT	–	OP	~ 10 weeks	Nil
Le Grange et al	USA	2007	RCT	80	16.1	12–19	98%	FBT-BN	SPT	–	OP	6 months	6 months
Le Grange et al	USA	2015	RCT	109	15.8	12–18	94%	FBT-BN	CBT-A	–	OP	6 months	6 and 12 months
Schmidt et al	UK	2007	RCT	85	17.65	13–20	97.6%	FT-BN	CBT-GSH	–	OP	~ 6 months	6 months
Stefini et al	Germany	2017	RCT	81	18.7	14–20	100%	–	CBT	PDT	OP	1 year	12 months
Wagner et al	Austria / Germany	2013	RCT	29	19.31	16–21	100%	–	CBT-GSH	CBT-BiB	OP	4–7 months	18 months post-baseline
RCT secondary analysis
Matheson et al	USA	2024	RCT SA	51^a	–	–	–	FBT-BN^a	CBT-A^a	–	OP	6 months	6 and 12 months
Reilly et al	USA	2022	RCT SA	109^a	–	–	–	FBT-BN^a	CBT-A^a	–	OP	6 months	6 and 12 months
Valenzuela et al	USA	2018	RCT SA	109^a	–	–	–	FBT-BN^a	CBT-A^a	–	OP	6 months	6 and 12 months
Single-arm study
Dodge et al	UK	1995	Single-arm	8	16.5	14–17	100%	FT-BN	–		OP	1–17 months^d	1-year post-baseline (ranged 11–4 months post-EOT)^d
Kotler et al	USA	2003	Single-arm	13	16.2	12–18	100%	–	Medication	–	OP	8 weeks	Nil
Lazaro et al	Spain	2010	Single-arm	44	16.3	13–18	90.9%	–	Group-CBT/BT	–	Day Hospital	8 weeks	Nil
Lebow et al	USA	2022	Single-arm	8	16.1	15–18	75%	–	ICAT-A	–	OP	10–27 sessions	Nil
Martinez-Mallen et al	Spain	2007	Single-arm	25	16.7	14–19	100%	–	Cue exposure	–	Day Hospital / OP	6 weeks	6 months
Murray et al	USA	2015	Single-arm	40	15.7	14–17	100%	FBT + DBT	–	–	PHP	~ 77 days^e	Nil
Pretorius et al	UK	2009	Single-arm	101	18.8	13–20	97%	–	Online-CBT	–	OP	8 sessions^f	3 and 6 months post-baseline
Stewart et al	UK	2021	Single-arm	50	15.6	nr	98%	MFT-BN	–	–	OP	4 months	Nil
			Totals:	710	16.89	12–21	96.7%	7	12

BiB, bibliotherapy; BT, behavioural therapy; CBT, cognitive behavioural therapy; CBT-A; adolescent adapted CBT; DBT, dialectical behaviour therapy; EFFT, emotionally focused family therapy; EOT, end of treatment; F, female; FBT-BN, Family-Based Treatment for Bulimia Nervosa; FT-BN, family therapy for bulimia nervosa; GSH, guided self-help; ICAT-A, integrative cognitive affective therapy for adolescents; IP, inpatient; MFT-BN, multi-family therapy for bulimia nervosa; nr, not reported; OP, outpatient; PDT, psychodynamic therapy; PHP, partial hospitalisation program; RCT, randomised controlled trial); SA, secondary analysis; SPT, supportive psychotherapy; TAU, treatment as usual; UK, United Kingdom; USA, United States of America
^aParticipant and treatment characteristics not included in totals due to study being a secondary analysis of an already reported on RCT [20]
^bMean reported
^cTwo interventions listed if study design included a comparison
^dAll but on participant received 1–10 months of intervention. The remaining one participant received 17 months of treatment. This participant is not included in follow-up duration
^e6 day/week program with reducing number of days/week attended
^fWeekly completion of sessions encouraged

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