Dissertation
A novel outpatient augmented CBT treatment approach for college athletes with bulimia spectrum eating disorders
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
Jun 2024
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00010711
Abstract
Eating disorders (EDs) are often more common in college athletes than non-athletes. College athletes with EDs tend to demonstrate distinctive symptom presentations and maintenance factors specific to athletes, raising unique challenges to treating college athletes compared to non-athletes with EDs. Current outpatient ED treatments do not directly target athlete specific symptom presentations and maintenance factors, which may explain suboptimal treatment outcomes for athletes with EDs. Extant literature suggests college athletes with EDs may be best treated via outpatient interventions that directly target athlete-specific ED symptom presentations and maintenance factors. The current pilot study (N=5) aimed to test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary estimates of efficacy of a 12-week Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - Guided Self-Help (CBT-GSH) treatment for bulimia nervosa where the guided portion was augmented to include an 8-session treatment protocol designed and tailored to target athlete-specific ED symptom presentations and maintenance factors in college athletes with bulimia spectrum EDs. The intervention demonstrated feasibility, with 80% of participants completing the treatment. It was also considered acceptable, with 100% of participants reporting the treatment was adequately credible and 100% of treatment completers reporting adequate satisfaction with the intervention. There were medium to large improvements (r>.30) in the overwhelming majority of subscale and total scores used to measure changes in athlete specific symptom presentations and maintenance factors, including maladaptive attitudes and behaviors towards training, excessive use of the athlete identity to determine self-worth, muscle dysmorphia, body image disturbances emphasizing leanness and muscularity in sport and daily life contexts, and problematic weight pressures form the sport environment. There were large improvements (r>.50) in clinical ED symptoms, including binge eating frequency, maladaptive exercise frequency, dietary restraint severity, and eating and body image concerns. Overall, the pilot study suggests that an outpatient augmented CBT-GSH intervention designed to target athlete-specific ED symptom presentations and maintenance factors is feasible, acceptable, and efficacious for treating college athletes with bulimia spectrum EDs. Further research is needed to replicate the current study's findings in a larger, more representative sample and to compare the current treatment to existing standard treatments.
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Details
- Title
- A novel outpatient augmented CBT treatment approach for college athletes with bulimia spectrum eating disorders
- Creators
- Olivia Brooke Wons
- Contributors
- Adrienne S. Juarascio (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- 215 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology); College of Arts and Sciences; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991021890313904721