The relationship between perceived mutuality and bulimic symptoms, depression, and therapeutic change in group

Abstract

This pilot study examined (a) the effectiveness of short-term group relational therapy (RT) in comparison to short-term group cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT), and (b) the relationship between perceived mutuality (PM) in relationships and severity of bulimic and depressive symptoms in women with bulimia nervosa (BN). Fifteen women ages 20–54 diagnosed with BN ( n=11) or binge-eating disorder (BED, n=4) were randomly assigned to a 16-week manualized RT or CBT group. The following measures were administered at baseline, at 8 and 16 weeks, and at 6th- and 12th-month follow-ups: Eating Disorders Inventory-2 (EDI-2), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Mutual Psychological Development Questionnaire (MPDQ). A series of mixed design analyses of variance (ANOVA) were computed to examine group therapy effectiveness and outcomes related to PM and symptom severity. Both group RT and CBT treatment conditions showed significant improvement in reducing binge eating, vomiting, and depression at end of treatment and across follow-up assessment times. Low levels of PM with father at baseline were associated with high levels of bulimic and depressive symptoms across assessment times, whereas low PM with mother was only associated with high levels of depression. Pilot study findings supported the idea that group work focused primarily on PM and relational factors can be effective in treating women with bulimic and depressive symptoms. Findings also suggest that relationships with fathers play an important role in recovery.