Dalle Grave, R., Calugi, S., & Sartirana, M.
Abstract
Enhanced Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT-E) has shown efficacy in treating adults with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and has been successfully adapted for use with adolescents with eating disorders. Multiple cohort studies involving adolescents aged between 12 and 19 years have evaluated the effectiveness of CBT-E in younger populations. The promising results from these studies have led the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to recommend CBT for eating disorders in adolescents.
CBT-E offers several advantages for adolescent patients. Its collaborative nature is particularly well suited to engaging ambivalent young patients that are in a very egosyntonic phase of their eating disorder. Additionally, the transdiagnostic scope of CBT-E is a significant benefit, as it can address a wide range of eating disorders commonly seen in adolescents.
This article provides an updated overview of the core strategies and procedures tailored to younger patients undergoing CBT-E, highlighting recent modifications. It also underscores the key differences between the adolescent and adult versions of CBT-E, ensuring that the treatment is appropriately customized to meet the specific needs of adolescent patients.
Dalle Grave, R., Calugi, S., & Sartirana, M. (2025). An update on the strategies and procedures of enhanced cognitive behaviour therapy for adolescents with eating disorders. IJEDO, 7, 1-16. doi:10.32044/ijedo.2025.01 Full Text