Comparing the effectiveness of schema therapy and CBT on eating disorder beliefs in anorexia and bulimia nervosa patients based on the parental bonding

Purpose: This study aimed at comparing schema therapy and CBT on beliefs related to eating disorders (negative self-esteem, self-accepted weight, the weight accepted by others and control overeating) among anorexia and bulimia nervosa patients based on the parental bonding. Method: The study had an experimental method with pretest-posttest design. The study population included all patients aged 16 to 23 years with eating disorder who had referred to psychiatrists, psychologists and all obesity and weight loss centers in Tehran. Purposeful sampling was used and the diagnostic criteria for the disorder was psychiatric diagnosis according to the fifth edition of the DSM manual (DSM-5). After the first sampling, the patients were screened in terms of parental bonding and then treatment plans were administered to patients in each group according to their age and body mass.  because one of the ingress criteria in this study, has been  the having a parents weak link (More supportive and less care Subjects with anorexia nervosa were considered in the category of mild in terms of body mass index (BMI≥17kg/m2<19kg/m2) and subjects with bulimia nervosa were considered in the category of mild in terms of body mass index and intensity (BMI≥30kg/m2). The instruments of the study included the Parental Bonding Questionnaire, Eating Disorders Beliefs and Yang’s Schema Questionnaire (1994).Multivariate analysis of  Variance (ANCOVA) was used for data analysis. Results: The results of the study indicated that schema therapy had a higher effectiveness in both groups of patients compared to the cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognitive and behavioral therapy was also effective for bulimia nervosa patients. However, it was less effective than schema therapy in these patients. Conclusion: Due to the high effectiveness of schema therapy compared to cognitive behavioral therapy, it should not be assumed that schema therapy is the ultimate therapy for these patients as the use of the techniques of this approach is tied with social and cultural behaviors and the therapy should be considered in accordance with other underlying factors.

chema therapy in these patients. Conclusion: Due to the high effectiveness of schema therapy compared to cognitive behavioral therapy, it should not be assumed that schema therapy is the ultimate therapy for these patients as the use of the techniques of this approach is tied with social and cultural behaviors and the therapy should be considered in accordance with other underlying factors.


nd the therapy should be considered in accordance with other underlying factors.