Background:

Low health-related quality of life has been observed in patients with eating disorders, but little is known about how treatments, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, impact the perceptions and experiences of patients.

Objective:

To explore the health-related quality of life in youth diagnosed with eating disorders receiving cognitive behavioral therapy.

Materials and Methods:

Qualitative study with multiple case methodology and intentional sampling of five youth receiving cognitive behavioral therapy for eating disorders in two treatment programs in the city of Medellín. These youth were given an in-depth interview related to health-related quality of life.

Results:

Although cognitive behavioral therapy created restrictions in the lives of the participants at the beginning of the treatment, improvements were observed in different areas of health-related quality of life, as treatment progressed: the ability to do things, move or take care of oneself; cognitive and academic skills; emotional state; social relationships; self-perception and health status perception, including mental health.

Conclusion:

The participants progressively improved their health-related quality of life as a result of cognitive behavioral therapy, both by reducing the problems associated with eating disorders and by increasing life skills.

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