Examining outcomes for individual and group based CBT-T for eating disorders

Cognitive behavior therapy ten (CBT-T) is a less resource-intensive, more accessible version of traditional CBT for eating disorders that has been found to be equivalent for improving eating disorder symptoms to traditional treatment. To further improve treatment accessibility, CBT-T can be done in a group format with up to 10 patients. The Nova Scotia Health Central Zone Eating Disorder Program already offers individual CBT-T, and the goal of the present project is to assess how group CBT-T compares to individual CBT-T in terms of acceptability to patients and usefulness for treating eating disorder symptoms. Patients in the NSH Central Zone Eating Disorder Program who are receiving outpatient treatment will be given a choice between individual or group CBT-T. Those who agree to participate in the study will complete questionnaires before, during, and after treatment, and at follow-ups, to assess symptom improvement. One-on-one interviews will also be done at follow-up to better understand patient experiences with both CBT-T formats. If group CBT-T is found to be equivalent to individual CBT-T, the group option could be permanently implemented into the NSH Provincial Eating Disorder Service to further improve treatment accessibility across the province.

Faculty Supervisor:

Aaron Keshen

Student:

Partner:

Nova Scotia Health

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Professional, scientific and technical services; Public administration

University:

Dalhousie University

Program: