An open trial for adults in a residential program for binge eating spectrum disorders

ABSTRACT

The current study assessed treatment outcome for 99 adult admissions to a residential program specifically designed for binge eating spectrum disorders (BESD). Participants completed self-report measures at admission, discharge, and 12-month follow-up and were asked to complete blood draws at admission and follow-up. Primary outcomes were eating behaviors; secondary outcomes included comorbid symptoms and physiological variables. Eating behaviors improved significantly from admission to follow-up, as did most comorbid symptoms and quality of life, despite no change in body mass index. Some variables displayed a curvilinear relationship, with some worsening of symptoms from discharge to follow-up, although scores at follow-up remained well below admission values. Participation in the treatment program was associated with reduced problematic eating and comorbid symptoms and increased quality of life up to one year after discharge. Findings from this study may encourage the development of similar residential treatment programs for BESD for those who have not responded to outpatient care or mixed milieu settings, and may prompt randomized studies testing similar treatments versus usual care.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Megan Riddle for her comments on an earlier version of this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

Dr. Renee Rienecke receives consulting fees from the Training Institute for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders, LLC, and receives royalties from Routledge. Dr. Daniel Le Grange receives royalties from Guilford Press and Routledge and is Co-Director of the Training Institute for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders, LLC, and is a member of Equip Health Clinical Advisory Board. Drs. Dan Blalock and Daniel Le Grange consult for Eating Recovery Center.

Data availability statement

Data are available from the first author upon reasonable request.

Supplemental material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2023.2288461

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Dr. Dan Blalock was supported by Career Development Award 19–035 (IK2HX003085-01A2) from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) Service.