Paper
Friday, 21 July 2006
This presentation is part of : Complementary and Alternative Health Practices
The Experience of Six, College-Age Women with Bulimia Nervosa in a Mindfulness-Based Eating Disorder Group
Kathryn A. Proulx, PhD, APRN, BC, School of Nursing, Mental Health Services, University of Massachusetts, amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
Learning Objective #1: understand the experience of the participants in the mindfulness-based eating disorder group.
Learning Objective #2: identify the components of the mindfulness-based eating disorder group and their potential impact on individuals experiencing symptoms of bulimia nervosa.
OBJECTIVE: Following puberty, five to ten million females in the United States struggle with eating disorders. Since 40% of women with bulimia nervosa do not respond to currently available treatments, it has the potential to become a chronic disorder with progressive psychological and physiological consequences. The purpose of this study was to understand how college-age women with bulimia nervosa experienced participation in a mindfulness-based eating disorder treatment group (M-BED Group). METHOD: A phenomenological, hermeneutic approach was used to describe how the women in this study experienced the M-BED Group. Six college-age women were selected to participate in the novel intervention of a M-BED Group. Data consisted of initial interviews, participant and researcher journal notes gathered over the course of the eight-week Group, audiotaped individual interviews conducted at the completion of the group, and participant self-portraits completed before and after participation in the M-BED Group. This data was analyzed using van Manen's method for identifying themes and Drew's guidelines for creating a synthesis of intentionality. RESULTS: Data indicated that participants began a transformational journey from a lonely place of self-loathing, disconnection, and disembodiment, marked by emotional and behavioral extremes. Within the group atmosphere of nonjudgment, using the vehicle of meditation practice, the participants traversed a path of intra and interpersonal connection arriving at an inner relationship with themselves that was more aware, authentic, and compassionate. They reported that, as their human vulnerability became more tolerable, their extremes moderated. CONCLUSIONS: While a M-BED Group is a novel treatment for women with bulimia nervosa, its emphasis on unifying mind, body and spirit within the context of the mindful intention of nonjudgment, suggests some promise as an alternative for those 40% of women who have not responded to more traditional treatments.

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