Updates in the treatment of eating disorders in 2024: a year in review in Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention.
Krista Tabuenca, Danielle E Crowe, Artha J Gillis, Chessa Kabiling, Brandy Saccacio, Amanda V Velkova, Stuart B Murray
Eating disorders May 8, 2025 DOI: 10.1080/10640266.2025.2497750 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA review of studies published in 2024 on eating disorder treatment covers advances for anorexia nervosa, including better severity measures and treatment targets, and for binge-spectrum disorders, the role of purging and non-purging behaviors. Novel interventions such as yoga-based and ayahuasca-based approaches, along with methods to aid weight restoration, are examined. Evidence on comorbidities and their effect on illness severity and outcomes, access to specialized care, and non-outpatient levels of care is also reviewed. The articles indicate promise in treatment advances but underscore the need for further work to develop more effective therapies.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | ayahuasca-based interventions |
| Keywords | Eating disorders Mental health treatment Therapeutic interventions Clinical research Healthcare accessibility |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key finding | The 2024 articles in Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention show promise in treatment advances for eating disorders, but further work is needed to develop efficacious treatments to achieve better outcomes. |
Abstract
A broad array of important and diverse studies surrounding the treatment of eating disorders were published in Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention in 2024. Anorexia nervosa is the most lethal and arguably the most well-studied eating disorder, yet treatment outcomes have been slow to advance. Herein, we review advances to both measuring AN symptom severity specifiers, identifying key treatment targets, and overview treatment advances. With regards to binge spectrum eating disorders, we review how purging and non-purging compensatory behaviors impact illness severity, and carefully review evidence relating to treatment outcomes. In this review, we also review novel treatment developments including yoga-based and ayahuasca-based interventions, as well as novel treatments for augmenting weight restoration in restrictive eating disorders. Additionally, we review evidence relating to eating disorder comorbidities, elucidating the impact on illness severity and treatment outcomes, and evidence addressing access to care for specialized eating disorder treatment, and lastly, how non-outpatient levels of eating disorder care may augment outcomes. Overall, the articles published in Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention in 2024 evidence the promise of treatment advances in the field and requires further work to address the development of efficacious treatments to achieve greater outcomes for those with eating disorders.