Boosting self-esteem in patients with eating disorders

People with eating disorders can often have low self-esteem, difficulties in relating to others and feelings of dissatisfaction about their relationships. A team of researchers from Barcelona looked into the effectiveness of a group-therapy programme, aimed at boosting self-esteem and social skills, in a study of 160 patients attending a day-hospital treatment programme. At the start of the study the patients with bulimia had lower self-esteem and less confidence in their social skills. After eight sessions of therapy both those with bulimia and those with anorexia showed significant improvements in their perceptions of their physical appearance, their self-esteem, their happiness and their sociability with the patients with bulimia showing a greater improvement.

Lazaro, L. ... [et al] - Effectiveness of Self-esteem and Social Skills Group Therapy in Adolescent Eating
Disorder Patients Attending a Day Hospital Treatment Programme European Eating Disorders Review DOI: 10.1002/erv.1054