| The present study sought to assess the efficacy of short-term (12 sessions) IPT-G in the reduction of binge eating, interpersonal distress and depressive symptoms for a group of five women with Binge Eating Disorder. In addition, three Rorschach variables---MOA (representations of relationships), HEV (quality of human representation), Texture (desire for interpersonal attachment)---and the IIP Social Avoidance subscale were evaluated in relation to each participants' treatment outcome.; The group mean number of binge days significantly decreased from pre- to post-treatment, although not to a subclinical level. No significant group reduction in interpersonal distress or depressive symptoms was found. However, individual data analyses revealed that two of the five participants displayed consistent reduction in binge eating. One participant displayed clinically significant reduction in depressive symptoms, but her post-treatment score was not considered to indicate clinically significant improvement because it did not fall below the clinical cutoff score. No participant displayed clinically significant improvement in interpersonal distress as measured by the IIP-Short Form.; For the purpose of hypothesis generation, four pre-treatment variables---three Rorschach scores (MOA, HEV, Texture) and the IIP Social Avoidance subscale---were evaluated for their relationship to treatment outcome. At pre-treatment, only one participant did not report significant distress over Social Avoidance on the IIP-Short Form. This participant, when non-statistically compared with others, had the lowest average of binge days across treatment. Of the two participants with the highest pre-treatment score on this scale, one reported clinical levels of binge eating throughout treatment and one got better. These results do not clearly indicate that there is a negative relationship between problems with social avoidance and success in IPT-G for binge eating disorder.; An evaluation of all the object relations measures indicated that, in combination with one another, the absence of high MOA scores, more than three low MOA scores and at least one Texture score were present in both participants who displayed consistent reduction in binge eating. This combination of factors was not present in the three participants who did not show consistent reduction in binge eating. A high pre-treatment Social Avoidance subscale score did not appear to be consistently related to treatment outcome in this small sample. The Rorschach variables---MOA and Texture---may prove to be predictors of an individual's capacity to engage in treatment and to create a working alliance within a short-term group format. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
