Juarascio, Forman & Herbert, 2010
Juarascio, A. S., Forman, E. M., & Herbert, J. D. (2010). Acceptance and commitment therapy versus cognitive therapy for the treatment of co morbid eating pathology. Behavior Modification, 34, 175-190.
Previous research has indicated that although eating pathology is prevalent in college populations, both CBT and non-CBT-based therapies achieve only limited effectiveness. The current study examined several questions related to the treatment of eating pathology within the context of a larger randomized controlled trial that compared standard CBT (i.e., Beck’s cognitive therapy; CT) with acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT; Hayes, 2004). The results indicated that the two treatments were differentially effective at reducing eating pathology. Specifically, CT produced modest decreases in eating pathology whereas ACT produced large decreases. In addition, a weaker suggestion emerged that ACT was more effective than CT at increasing clinician-rated global functioning among those with eating pathology. These findings suggest that ACT is a useful treatment for disordered eating and potentially, for eating disorders per se.