30 Chapter 2 Method Participants Participants were 431 patients (399 women, 32 men), who met DSM-IV (APA, 1994) research criteria for BED. They were all referred to Amarum, a specialist centre for the treatment of eating disorders in the Netherlands1, by their general practitioner or another clinician. Information about the diagnosis was gathered through different channels. An initial screening on eating disorder complaints was conducted by telephone. Next, patients filled out a personal history questionnaire including questions about eating disorder-related behaviour and psychiatric comorbidity. If applicable, information about former treatments was retrieved. Subsequently, a clinical interview by either a licensed psychologist or a psychiatrist was conducted in which, among other things, the presence of BED was determined and a case formulation was phrased. The case formulation as well as the DSM-IV classification were then reviewed in a multidisciplinary team. Exclusion criteria for participating in the treatment programme were concurrent treatment for binge eating disorder or weight problems (yet those who have undergone bariatric surgery can be included); comorbid psychiatric conditions that warrant immediate attention (e.g., suicidality, acute psychosis); medical conditions that preclude outpatient treatment; conditions that preclude participation in group treatment (e.g. mental retardation); pregnancy; age below 18 or above 65. All participants started treatment between September 2003 and April 2011 and provided written informed consent. Of these 431 patients, 341 patients (316 women and 25 men) completed their treatment programme. A total of 90 patients dropped out of treatment (83 women and 7 men). Reasons for dropping out were the patient’s unilateral belief that he/she had improved sufficiently, or in accordance with advice from the therapist because the therapist had doubts about the patient’s resilience or because a co morbid disorder required attention first. For some patients, reasons were unknown. Of the 341 patients who completed treatment, 304 completed the post-treatment measurement (these patients will be used for post-treatment prediction), and 190 completed the 6-month follow-up measurement (these patients will be used for follow-up prediction). Of the 304 patients that completed both treatment and measures at post-treatment, mean age at pretreatment was 36.38 (SD = 9.35, range 18 – 60). Mean pretreatment BMI 1 Treatment is offered either in Zutphen or in Nijmegen.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjY0ODMw