Web-based Guided Self-help CBT-E vs Online G-CBT-E for Binge Eating Behavior

April 22, 2026 updated by: Shanghai Mental Health Center

A Randomized Controlled Study of Web-based Guided Self-help CBT-E Versus Online Group CBT-E for Binge Eating Behavior

Eating disorders with binge eating as the core feature include bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED). In recent years, the prevalence rate has increased rapidly, mostly among women, accompanied by emotional problems, physiological complications and increased risks of obesity and depression, which bring great pain to patients. Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral therapy (CBT-E) for eating disorders is an evidence-based and effective first-line psychotherapy for BN and BED. CBT-E is implemented in various forms. In addition to face-to-face therapy, online group CBT-E and guided self-help CBT-E can significantly reduce binge eating in BN and BED patients. However, there are no relevant clinical studies in China. Since 2008, the applicant has carried out CBT treatment and research on eating disorders, translated and published the self-help book "Overcoming Overeating", and accumulated rich clinical research experience. This study intends to establish a set of CBT-E self-help therapy courses suitable for Chinese binge eating patients, and conduct a randomized controlled study of web-based guided self-help CBT-E and online group CBT-E to compare the effectiveness of the treatment modalities in the treatment of binge eating and the feasibility of online guided self-help CBT-E and online group CBT-E in the treatment of binge eating.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
120

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • China
    • Shanghai Municipality
      • Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China, 200030
        • Shanghai Mental Health Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Han nationality, aged 18-35 years old;
  • Students with junior high school education or above;
  • Meet the diagnostic criteria of BN or BED in DSM-5, body mass index (BMI)≥18.5 kg/m2;
  • no systematic nutritional treatment, psychiatric drug treatment or any form of psychological treatment was received within 1 month before enrollment;
  • Each patient must understand the nature of this study and sign informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Persons meeting other DSM-5 diagnoses other than BN and BED, such as substance abuse/dependence, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, etc., persons at high risk of suicide, persons with strong destructive impulses or antisocial behaviors;
  • The patient has severe primary or secondary physical disease or cognitive impairment, which makes the patient unable to complete the required symptom assessment and psychological tests;
  • Have received systematic nutritional therapy, individual and group psychotherapy;
  • Those who have taken neuroblockers, antidepressants, lithium salts, stimulants, antiepileptics and other psychotropic drugs within the past 1 month;
  • Participation in this clinical trial was deemed inappropriate by the investigator for other reasons.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: web-based guided self-help CBT-E
After randomization, 8-10 patients were assigned to self-help CBT-E group each time.
Behavioral: web-based guided self-help Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral therapy
The subjects would learn and practice CBT-E course through the online learning platform for 12 times, and were required to complete the course once a week.
Experimental: online group CBT-E
After randomization, 8-10 patients were assigned to online CBT-E group each time.
Behavioral: online Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral therapy
A closed structured group would be established by online video conference for group CBT-E therapy. Each group would receive 12 group sessions, once a week for 120 minutes each time. Each group would be led by two CBT therapists, all of whom are nationally registered psychotherapists with systematic professional training.
No Intervention: waiting group
After randomization, 8-10 patients were assigned to the waiting list each time, and they would be allocated to web-based guided self-help CBT-E or online group CBT-E randomly after a 12-week waiting period.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) at Post-Treatment and During Follow-Up
Time Frame: Baseline, Week 12 (at the end of treatment), Week 16 (1 month after treatment), week 24 (3 months after treatment)
Questions 13 to 15 of the Eating Disorder Survey Scale (EDE-Q) were used to assess the proportion of patients with no binge eating behavior in the last 28 days.
Baseline, Week 12 (at the end of treatment), Week 16 (1 month after treatment), week 24 (3 months after treatment)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Barratt Impulsivity Scale-Version 11 (BIS-11)
Time Frame: Baseline, Week 12 (at the end of treatment), Week 16 (1 month after treatment), week 24 (3 months after treatment)
To evaluate the changes in impulse suppression ability of patients before and after treatment, the Barratt Impulsivity Scale-11 (BIS-11) comprises 30 questions. Each question is on a 4-point scale from 1 to 4. Scores range from 30 to 120, with higher scores indicating higher levels of impulsivity.
Baseline, Week 12 (at the end of treatment), Week 16 (1 month after treatment), week 24 (3 months after treatment)
Beck Depression Inventory-Version 2 (BDI-2)
Time Frame: Baseline, Week 12 (at the end of treatment), Week 16 (1 month after treatment), week 24 (3 months after treatment)
To assess the changes of depressive mood before and after treatment, the Beck Depression Inventory-Version 2 (BDI-2) comprises 21 questions. Each question is on a 4-point scale from 0 to 3. Scores range from 0 to 63, with higher scores indicating higher levels of depression.
Baseline, Week 12 (at the end of treatment), Week 16 (1 month after treatment), week 24 (3 months after treatment)
Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)
Time Frame: Baseline, Week 12 (at the end of treatment), Week 16 (1 month after treatment), week 24 (3 months after treatment)
To assess the changes of anxiety mood before and after treatment, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) comprises 21 questions. Each question is on a 4-point scale from 0 to 3. Scores range from 0 to 63, with higher scores indicating higher levels of anxiety.
Baseline, Week 12 (at the end of treatment), Week 16 (1 month after treatment), week 24 (3 months after treatment)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Shanghai Mental Health Center

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Jue Chen, PhD, Shanghai Mental Health Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 1, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 30, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 10, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 23, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 15, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 24, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 28, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 22, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 202140092

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

The study protocol and baseline characteristics of participants.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Researchers will share data when the study is completed in December 2024.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

CBT-E; bulimia nervosa; binge eating; online CBT-E

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings