Efficacy of a brief motivational interview add-on session to self-help treatment for binge eating

The purpose of this study was to develop and improve treatment for binge eating through enhancing client motivation for change. Its specific aims were to test the hypotheses that a motivational interview add-on session would increase the efficacy of a self-help program for binge eating, would help move participants from contemplation into action, and would increase participant compliance with the self-help program. Participants were college students (N = 90) who met full or partial DSM-IV criteria for bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder. Participants were randomly assigned to attend a one-hour motivational interview prior to receiving the self-help manual (n = 45) or to receive the self-help manual only ( n = 45). Participants were followed for four months to assess binge eating outcome, compliance, and movement through the stages of change. The motivational interview and feedback session resulted in increased readiness to change and improved eating disorder outcome at follow up, compared with the self-help only condition. Additionally, support was found for the association between greater readiness to change and increased compliance with the treatment manual. Finally, limited support was found for the ability of compliance with the manual to predict outcome. This research has important implications for increasing efficacy of self-help treatment for binge eating. Moreover, it adds to the body of literature regarding motivational interviewing as an efficacious and cost-effective technique for improving eating disorder outcome. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)