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New and emerging treatment options for adolescent bulimia nervosa

Daniel le Grange and James Lock

While bulimia nervosa (BN) was first described more than 25 years ago, and a substantial body of literature has been accumulated describing both psychosocial and pharmacological treatments for adults with this disorder, little is known about effective interventions for adolescents with BN. The scope of this article is to review recent developments in the treatment of adolescent BN. We highlight our current knowledge of the epidemiology of this disorder among adolescents, emphasize the importance of early recognition of this disorder, and summarize the existing treatment literature for adolescent BN. The gaps in our knowledge regarding adolescents are accentuated by referring, in contrast, to the efficacious treatment for adults with BN. We conclude by underscoring the need to conduct large-scale randomized trials testing efficacious treatments for adolescent BN by borrowing from what is known in the treatment of adults with BN, as well as adolescents with anorexia nervosa.