The effects of waiting time for outpatient psychotherapeutic interventions on patient-reported outcomes in adolescents and adults with eating disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract
Objective: To assess the effects of waiting time for outpatient psychotherapeutic interventions on patient-reported outcomes in adolescents and adults with eating disorders.
Method: MEDLINE, Embase, APA PsycInfo, CENTRAL and BASE were searched on 12 August 2025. Quantitative studies of adolescents (≥ 10 years) and adults with eating disorders that examined waitlist conditions prior to outpatient psychotherapeutic interventions and measured eating disorder pathology with the Children's Eating Attitudes Test (chEAT) or Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) were eligible. Risk of bias was assessed using the RoB 2 and ROBINS-I tools. A within-group random-effects meta-analysis was performed assessing pre-post change scores of the EDE-Q Global Score (primary analysis) and EDE-Q subscales (secondary analyses). A full protocol has been pre-registered on PROSPERO (registration number: CRD420251090691).
Results: Nine waitlist-controlled studies (total n = 647, waitlisted n = 283) including adult participants with bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder and 'eating disorder not otherwise specified' met our eligibility criteria. Eight studies (waitlisted n = 273) were included in the meta-analysis. Participants entered the waiting period with high EDE-Q Global Scores, ranging from 3.08 to 4.65 across studies. The pooled pre-post effect estimate was Hedges' g = - 0.17 (95% CI - 0.30 to - 0.05), indicating a negligible reduction in eating disorder pathology. Certainty of…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 647 participants or records.
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