Objective:

To examine the effectiveness, content, types of intervention and quality of psychological treatments for binge eating disorder (BED) in women, which have been carried out in the last 20 years.

Method:

The systematic review was carried out based on the PRISMA guide and was carried out from September 2018 to June 2020 in the databases: Medline, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Scielo, Redalyc and LILACS.

Results:

206 potentially relevant articles were identified, 15 were selected that met the inclusion criteria. In the analysis of results, it was identified that the majority of the studies aimed to test the effectiveness of the interventions. The most widely used clinical approaches were Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy emphasizing the emotional component and interpersonal relationships, finally Body Image Therapy and Psychoanalysis. The most widely used questionnaires to measure BED were the Eating Disorder Examination, the DSM-based clinical interview and the Binge Eating Scale.

Discussion:

Challenges in multidisciplinary work are observed, in addition to highlighting the importance of collaborative commitment with the patient. There is a need for further studies that consolidate and deepen the early evaluation and treatment of the disorder, as well as delving into the emotional approach.