Utilizing clinical practice to inform research on the treatment of eating disorders

A substantial amount of research on the treatment of eating disorders has accmed in recent years. However, there is growing concern that clinicians do not actually use information from the research when treating clients with eating disorders. The purpose of this study was two-fold. First, clinicians who had varying degrees of experience in the treatment of eating disorders (N = 126) were surveyed regarding treatment practices used with their most recent eating disorder client. Second, a comprehensive content analysis of published treatment outcome studies on eating disorders (N = 76) was conducted.

Results from the clinicians' description of their work with their client with an eating disorder were compared to the results from the content analysis in order to directly compare what is being done in clinical work to what is being advocated in the research. Chi-square analyses were used to identify specific components of treatments in clinical settings that are different from treatments in research settings. The results indicated that treatments of eating disorders in clinical settings are significantly different from treatments in research settings along several variables including the gender of the client, the type of eating disorder exhibited by the client, the treatment modality used, the format of the session (i.e., individual, group, or family), and the types of issues addressed in. therapy. Finally, logistic regression analyses were completed to determine whether certain client or therapist variables reliably predicted the use of empirically-validated treatments. Results indicated that there were no therapist or client variables that were related to whether or not a client received an empirically-validated treatment.

The results of the study suggest a strong need for better collaboration between the scientist and the practitioner. Clinicians have much to leam from research regarding treatments that have been proven to be effective. Researchers have much to leam from clinicians conceming the types of complications and problems seen when working with clients. It is through the collaboration of researchers and clinicians that the effective treatments of eating disorders will progress.