Fairburn BN
CBT, Behaviour Therapy or IPT for Bulimia Nervosa
Patient / Population Intervention / Exposure Comparison Outcome
In 75 women with bulimia nervosa, 19 sessions of CBT-BN produced faster acute response than behaviour therapy or interpersonal psychotherapy, with IPT catching up by 12 months.
N
75
Design
RCT, UK
Endpoint
Binge–purge remission
Relevance
3
ResultCBT-BN acutely > IPT; equivalent at 12 months. BT showed a strong relapse pattern.
Fairburn CG, et al. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1993;50(6):419-428. 10.1001/archpsyc.1993.01820180009001
Discussion & critique
Established CBT-BN as the first-line and identified IPT as a slower but durable alternative.