Comparison of the effectiveness of face-to-face and online cognitive behavioral therapy on treatment adherence in people with bulimia nervosa

Patients’ health and progress in recovery are affected by their adherence to treatment strategies. Identification of effective methods and treatments on increasing treatment adherence can improve patients’ adherence to treatment and consequently their health.

The present study was a descriptive-analytical one conducted as an intervention in Tehran in 2020 for twelve weeks on thirty patients with bulimia nervosa in two groups who were selected using convenience sampling. The treatment adherence questionnaire was used to collect data. The statistical tests of mixed analysis of variance between groups and within groups were used to analyze the data. The data were entered into SPSS statistical software (version 25).

Cognitive-behavioral therapy with both face-to-face and online methods significantly increased adherence to therapy. The mean of adherence to treatment in the group receiving online training was significantly higher than that of the group receiving face-to-face training.

It is necessary to evaluate the adherence to the treatment of patients with bulimia nervosa in clinics and provide cognitive-behavioral therapy for those with bulimia in order to correct their misconceptions about their body image and control their stress.