A group treatment program for bulimia nervosa

The purpose of this study was to design a method of treating bulimia nervosa using the Group Pentagon and the TFA System to assess how women begin their recovery from bulimia nervosa. An action study was used as a framework for conducting this research. This action study identified descriptive thoughts, feelings, and actions of college-age women with bulimia nervosa and described changes that occurred as a result of six structured sessions in a psychoeducational group. Nine college age women (18-21) participated in the study: three from one group and six from another group. Six-sessions for both groups were held during a three-week period and lasted one-hour and forty-five minutes each. Data from both groups was analyzed collectively because of similarities in participants, content, and methods. Individual interviews and assessments were conducted after the treatment ended. Follow-up sessions were held after one and three weeks. Using Brown and Gilligan’s (1992) qualitative model for analyzing data, it was concluded that the psychoeducational group treatment program for bulimia nervosa contributed to changes in thoughts, feelings, and actions for members from both groups. Moreover, the TFA self-assessment provided a method for identifying and interpreting the thoughts, feelings, and actions of the women participating in the study. The following changes among group members were observed: the binge-purge cycle was interrupted; short-term goals for six of nine members were achieved; and after a three week follow-up four of the six were still maintaining progress; while two of the six had improved beyond their initial progress. Concurrently, the three group members who did not accomplish their goals, had not regressed any further, but their bingeing and purging had not improved significantly.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Counselor Education

Department dc:contributor.department

Counselor Education

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1996

Author dc:creator

• Moore, Mary L.

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Hutchins, David E.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Singh, Kusum
• McVoy, Joseph
• Sturgis, Ellie T.
• Vaught, Claire C.

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

etd-10122005-134451

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/39791