Changes in alcohol intake in response to transdiagnostic cognitive behaviour therapy for eating disorders

• Published in: Behaviour research and therapy Vol. 49; no. 9; pp. 573 - 577
• Main Authors: Karačić, Matislava, Wales, Jackie A., Arcelus, Jon, Palmer, Robert L., Cooper, Zafra, Fairburn, Christopher G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-09-2011; Elsevier; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Alcohol consumption; Alcohol Drinking - psychology; Alcohol-Related Disorders - complications; Alcohol-Related Disorders - diagnosis; Alcohol-Related Disorders - psychology; Alcoholic beverages; Analysis of Variance; Assessment; Behavior therapy. Cognitive therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Body mass index; Cognitive ability; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - methods; Cognitive behaviour therapy; Cognitive behavioural therapy; Cognitive therapy; Depression; Depressive Disorder - complications; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); Drinking behavior; Eating disorder psychopathology; Eating disorders; Ethanol; Feeding and Eating Disorders - complications; Feeding and Eating Disorders - psychology; Feeding and Eating Disorders - therapy; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Mental depression; Mental health care; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Statistics, Nonparametric; Treatment Outcome; Treatments; Alcohol consumption; Treatment outcome; Cognitive behavioural therapy; Eating disorder psychopathology; Eating disorders; Human; Cognitive therapy; Treatment efficiency; Eating disorder; Alcoholic beverage; Treatment; Behavior therapy; Psychopathology
• ISSN: 0005-7967; 1873-622X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2011.05.011

The aim of this study was to examine how alcohol intake changes during and after transdiagnostic cognitive behaviour therapy for eating disorders (CBT-E). Additionally, the paper considers the relationship between alcohol consumption, eating disorder diagnosis and current major depressive episode at the time of first assessment.
One hundred and forty nine outpatients with an eating disorder (body mass index over 17.5) were divided into high or low alcohol intake groups (HIG and LIG) according to their intake at pre-treatment assessment. Their alcohol intake and eating disorder psychopathology were examined over the course of treatment and follow-up.
There was no difference between the groups on response of the eating disorder to treatment. The HIG significantly reduced their alcohol intake following treatment whilst the intake of the LIG remained stable over the course of treatment and follow-up. There were no group differences in major depression and overall severity of eating disorder at baseline.
The response to CBT-E was not influenced by baseline level of alcohol use. The mean alcohol intake of the heavy drinking subjects decreased without being specifically addressed by the treatment.
► We examined alcohol intake changes during and after CBT-E for an eating disorder. ► Patients were divided into high or low alcohol groups according to their pre-treatment intake. ► The high group significantly reduced alcohol intake without specific address in treatment. ► Response to CBT-E was not influenced by baseline level of alcohol use.