ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

AN – Anorexia Nervosa
APA- American Psychological Association
BED –Binge Eating Disorder
BN- Bulimia Nervosa
BT – Behavioural Therapy
BWLT – Behavioural Weight Loss Therapy
CASP- Critical Appraisal Skills Programme
CBT- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
CBT-E – Enhanced Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
DBT – Dialectical Behavioural therapy
DSM – 5 - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, version 5
ED - Eating Disorder
EDNOS - Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified
GSH CBT - Guided Self-Help Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
IPT – Interpersonal Psychotherapy
PICO – Patients, Interventions, Comparison, Outcome
BACKGROUND
Although Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has been labelled as the most effective
treatment in the treatment of the Binge Eating Disorder (BED), there exists limited evidence
regarding the treatment’s ability to reduce depressive symptoms in patients. This study gives
an update on evidences regarding the effectiveness of CBT in proving mood, sleep quality,
body dissatisfaction and binge intensity in adults with BED.
METHOD
A systematic review was conducted using recent articles from several reputable journal
databases including Ovid, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library,
CINAHL and Web of Science. The selected articles were subjected to critical appraisal via
the CASP methodology and a PRISMA flow diagram was used to document the search
process. A total of 24 studies were included within the review having met the inclusion
criteria. A qualitative review using narrative synthesis was done and several major themes
were identified.

RESULTS
The study identified several imperative concepts: Firstly, the use of CBT alone cannot
guarantee all-round achievement in the achievement of positive outcomes; it must be
combined with other methods to cater for the pathophysiological needs of the patients with
BED. Secondly, the study revealed that CBT is effective in conditions characterised by lower
psychopathological features. In this regard, treatment using CBT is dependent upon the
patient characteristics. Finally, the review revealed that there was still a significant gap in
studies regarding CBT in adults without co-occurring conditions such as obesity since most
research is mostly concerned with at-risk groups.
CONCLUSIONS
The results obtained asserted that although CBT is a consistent method of treatment, it should
be used together with other treatment options to achieve positive outcomes in terms of
addressing depressive symptoms associated with BED. Additionally, the inclusion of other
treatments such as pharmacotherapy was recommended to improve cognitive outcomes in
BED patients. Future research should be more specific on the outcomes targeted, and further
explore the means which CBT best delivers positive outcomes.