Effects of a Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program for Adolescents with Diabulimia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose: Diabulimia is a serious problem that can cause a variety of complications in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy program for adolescents with diabulimia.Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted on 38 adolescents aged between 13 and 18 years with type 1 diabetes who scored 20 or higher on the Diabetes Eating Problem SurveyRevised (DEPS-R). The experimental group received eight sessions of an Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy.Results: Immediately after the intervention and four weeks later, the experimental group demonstrated significant reductions in automatic thoughts, depression,and diabetic eating disorder behavior with an increase in body satisfaction compared to the control group.Conclusion: The Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for adolescents with diabulimia used various techniques to find dysfunctional thoughts that could induce negative emotions and behaviors based on actual experience. When delivered via the Internet, it provided participants with unrestricted access in terms of both time and location.