Emotion-focused therapy for binge-eating disorder: A pilot randomized control trial.

Research into psychotherapy for binge-eating disorder (BED) has focused mainly on cognitive behavioral therapies, but efficacy, failure to abstain, and dropout rates continue to be problematic. The experience of negative emotions is among the most accurate predictors for the occurrence of binge eating episodes in BED, suggesting benefits to exploring other psychological treatments with a more specific focus on the role of emotion. This pilot study aimed to investigate if emotion-focused therapy (EFT) for BED improved binge episodes, the number of days on which binge episodes occurred, binge eating symptoms, anxiety and depression. The treatment consisted of 12 weekly one-hour sessions of EFT over three months with 21 participants. Those receiving the EFT demonstrated a greater degree of improvement in binge episodes, the number of days on which binge episodes occurred, and binge eating symptoms compared to participants who did not receive the treatment. The EFT intervention resulted in significant improvements in binge episodes, the number of days on which binge episodes occurred, binge eating symptoms and anxiety but not depression. In conclusion, these findings provide further preliminary evidence that individual EFT may be an efficacious treatment for BED. Further controlled studies are needed.