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Interpersonal Therapy for Treatment of Bulimia
Contributor: Leigh Bell, BA, writer for Eating Disorder Hope
Interpersonal therapy (IPT), originally developed to treat depression, is used in treatment of eating disorders, including bulimia, but most research shows it’s less less effective at eradicating eating disorder symptoms than the more common method of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Social Interaction & Mental Health
IPT is based on the belief that there’s a meaningful relationship between our mental health and the way we interact with others. The therapy makes a “practical link between the patient’s mood and disturbing life events that either trigger or follow from the onset” of the eating disorder.
The therapy only lasts between 12-16 weeks, and it’s used to resolve the interpersonal problems that occur in the context of eating disorders, like bulimia. An individual in IPT works to identify and express emotions, and to realize how their past experiences effect their present interpersonal circumstances.
CBT is also a short-term, goal-oriented psychotherapy, but this approach attempts to change the way we think and respond to something, as a way to change the we feel about it. Consider it a combination of psychotherapy and behavior therapy. CBT is common in the treatment of eating disorders, and research shows, it’s likely better than IPT in treating bulimia.
One study of 220 people with bulimia were given either CBT or IPT for 19 sessions over a 20-week period and then evaluated a year later. At the end of treatment, CBT was significantly superior to IPT because almost 45% of people given CBT recovered, compared to 8% given IPT. One year later, 40% given CBT remained recovered, compared to 27% in IPT.
CBT was “significantly more rapid in engendering improvement in patients with bulimia nervosa than IPT,” the researchers wrote. “This suggests CBT should be considered the preferred psychotherapeutic treatment for bulimia nervosa.”
However, other studies have found IPT effective in the treatment of some eating disorders, not immediately, but over a long period of time.
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About the Author:
Leigh Bell holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with minors in Creative Writing and French from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. She is a published author, journalist with 15 years of experience, and a recipient of the Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism. Leigh is recovered from a near-fatal, decade-long battle with anorexia and the mother of three young, rambunctious children.
The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer a discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals. We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.
Last Updated & Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on October 9, 2015. Published on EatingDisorderHope.com
The EatingDisorderHope.com editorial team comprises experienced writers, editors, and medical reviewers specializing in eating disorders, treatment, and mental and behavioral health.
