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S. Ohmann, C. Popow, B. Schuch, A Karwautz, M. Lanzenberger, H Herzog, S. Miksch:
"Manual Based Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy (Cbt) for Adolescent Girls with Anorexia Nervosa (An) and their Families";
Poster: 16th World Congress of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP), Berlin; 2004-08-22 - 2004-08-26; in: "16th World Congress of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP)", (2004), ISBN: 3-7985-1472-0.

Background:
AN in adolescent girls is a common, life threatening and difficult to treat disease. Prolonged ambulatory psychotherapy and familiar interventions are considered mandatory. Although treatment manuals offer important advantages for clinical practice, standardized therapy programs for adolescents are still lacking.

Objectives:
The aim of our study was to develop and evaluate a manual for treating adolescent girls with AN and their families based on CBT principles. Therapy included psychoeducation, problem analysis, social skills training, communication training, problem solving strategies for interpersonal conflicts, cognitive schema therapy, hedonistic training and body therapeutic elements.

Methods:
8 patients with AN (ICD-10 F 50.0, restrictive type) were assigned to one year of manual based group CBT ( 60 sessions) including family behavioral sessions. The therapeutic process was closely monitored by assessing psychopathologic symptoms (depression, social anxiety, alexithymia, eating and hedonistic behavior), schemas (cognitive, approach and avoidance schemas), family relations and treatment rating. These variables were assessed at baseline, during (3 monthly) and immediately and 6 months after therapy. BMI were controlled weekly.

Results:
The criteria for "good outcome" were met by 5 patients, 2 patients did not improve and continued single CBT, 1 patient dropped out after three months of therapy.

Conclusion:
Our manual based group CBT was effective in improving outcome and preventing relapse. To the authors knowledge these data empirically document for the first time the efficacy of CBT in adolescent patients with AN.

http://publik.tuwien.ac.at/files/pub-inf_2600.doc