BACKGROUND
There has been a recent rise in the use of eHealth treatments for a variety of psychological disorders, including eating disorders.
OBJECTIVE
This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials is the first to evaluate the efficacy of eHealth interventions specifically for the treatment of binge eating disorder (BED)– characterized by compulsive overconsumption of food, in a relatively short period of time and without compensatory behaviors like purging or fasting.
METHODS
A search on the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Medline, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) was conducted for randomized controlled trials that compared the efficacy of eHealth treatment interventions to wait-list controls. From the databases searched, three studies met the inclusion criteria, and all the interventions administered were forms of internet-based guided cognitive behavioral therapy.
RESULTS
The results of the analysis demonstrate that when compared to wait list controls, eHealth interventions reduce objective binge episodes (OBE; SMD is -0.77, 95% CI, -1.38 to -0.16) and eating disorder psychopathology (SMD -0.71, 95% CI -1.20 to -0.22), which include shape (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.01 to -0.22) and weight concerns (SMD -0.91, 95% CI -1.33 to -0.48). There was no significant difference in body mass index between eHealth interventions and controls (SMD -0.01, 95% CI, -0.40 to 0.39).
CONCLUSIONS
These findings provide promising results for the use of internet-based CBT for BED treatment and support the greater need for future research to explore the efficacy of these eHealth interventions.
Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate for Adults with Moderate to Severe Binge Eating Disorder: Results of Two Pivotal Phase 3 Randomized Controlled Trials