A group of Swiss investigators reports on a randomized controlled trial comparing psychotherapeutic strategies involving the mothers of obese children in the fourth 2008 issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.
Parent-child treatments have been shown to be superior to child-focused treatments of childhood obesity. Yet until now, the comparative effectiveness of parent-only and parent-child approaches has been little studied. Fifty-six obese children and their families were randomly assigned to a 16-session cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for the parents only or for a combined treatment of parents and children. Children’s percent overweight, the body mass index of their mothers, and behavioral and psychological problems of children and mothers were assessed.
Both treatments reduced children’s percent overweight significantly and equally by 6-month follow-up. Also both treatments provided similar results in reducing general behavior problems (externalizing and internalizing behavior problems), global and social anxiety, and depression.
This study demonstrated a comparable efficacy of the two treatments. Further, psychological well-being of both mothers and children can be improved in a CBT for obese children and their parents. Future studies should focus on finding ways to improve the adherence of families to long-term treatment of obesity in childhood.
Grabe,H.J.; Frommer, J.; Ankerhold, A.; Ulrich, C.; Gröger, R.; Franke, G.H.; Barnow, S.; Freyberger, H.J.; Spitzer, C. Alexithymia and Outcome in Psychotherapy. Psychother Psychosom 2008;77:189-194.
Source: Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, via Alpha Galileo
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