The effect of eHealth-based guided self help interventions for binge eating disorder : a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

In 30 seconds

This meta-analysis pooled eight randomized controlled trials involving 1,575 people diagnosed with binge eating disorder (BED) or reporting BED symptoms. It assessed guided self-help interventions delivered through eHealth, including web-based and hybrid formats, with intervention lengths ranging from a single session to four months. Compared with control conditions, eHealth-guided self-help reduced binge-eating psychopathology (SMD: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.20-0.86) and objective binge-eating days (SMD: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.12-0.85).

Key findings

• Across eight randomized trials, eHealth-guided self-help reduced binge-eating psychopathology versus controls (SMD: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.20-0.86).
• Objective binge-eating days were also lower with eHealth-guided self-help (SMD: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.12-0.85).
• Intervention duration ranged from a single session to four months; most studies evaluated web-based guided self-help.

Why it matters

The findings suggest that guided self-help delivered through digital platforms can improve key BED outcomes compared with control conditions. Such approaches may be relevant where access to traditional treatment is difficult, while the range of formats and intervention lengths indicates that the evidence covers varied implementations rather than one standardized program.

What to keep in mind

The trials varied in intervention duration and delivery format, and included people with either diagnosed BED or BED symptoms.