ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON EATING DISORDERS AND BODY IMAGE: A SELECTIVE REVIEW OF PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES

Environmental factors, such as the place of residence, can lead to the appearance of ED and its treatment can be broad; however, the one that presents greater certainty of its effectiveness is the one based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Objectives: to review the evidence on empirically supported psychotherapeutic strategies for the treatment of eating disorders and unsatisfactory body image and to analyze the evidence demonstrating the influence of the environment on ED. Method: we analyzed articles included in PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science that met some criteria, mainly being clinical trials demonstrating the efficacy of CBT, MANTRA, SSCM, self-help CBT and Interpersonal Therapy, directed towards the population over 12 years of age; these studies were verified through the CONSORT guide. Results: for both AN and BN, the most analyzed strategy was CBT, with favorable results in general and disorder psychopathology; for AT, the most popular strategy is Self-Help CBT, mainly via Internet. Conclusions: the environmental factor was mostly studied in Eastern countries, the results showed a direct relationship between place of residence and the suffering of ACT, on the other hand, the evidence of the efficacy of CBT was significant with respect to the other strategies.  The contribution of the present study is to provide evidence on the efficacy of guided self-help CBT as a promising and accessible strategy for the population.