Eating Disorder Patients (eating + disorder_patient)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Let eating disorder patients decide: Providing choice may reduce early drop-out from inpatient treatment

EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW, Issue 3 2009
Walter Vandereycken
Abstract Premature drop-out from treatment is a highly prevalent phenomenon among eating disorder (ED) patients. In a specialized inpatient treatment unit a major change was made in the admission strategy in 2001, giving a maximum of personal choice to the patients. A quasi-experimental research was carried out comparing 87 patients treated till 2000 (,old' strategy) with 87 patients treated from 2001 on (,new' strategy). The results indicate that the provision of choice at the beginning of treatment significantly reduced drop-out during the first weeks of inpatient treatment. No differences between both strategies on later drop-out and weight change (in anorexia nervosa patients) during inpatient treatment were found. The results are discussed in the light of the importance placed on dynamics of personal choice, autonomy and volition within the framework of the self-determination theory (SDT). Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [source]


Group motivational enhancement therapy as an adjunct to inpatient treatment for eating disorders: a preliminary study,

EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW, Issue 4 2008
Helen Y. Dean
Abstract Difficulties in fostering eating disorder (ED) patients' motivations to overcome their illness are widely considered to be a major hurdle in the course of successful treatment. However, no previous study has assessed the use of interventions specifically designed to target poor motivation amongst patients with illnesses that are severe enough to warrant hospitalisation. Objective A brief Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) group programme for inpatient ED sufferers was developed and evaluated. Method Forty two consecutive inpatients were sequentially allocated to treatment groups. Twenty three inpatients completed a four session MET group programme in addition to routine hospital care. A control group of 19 participants completed treatment as usual (TAU). Results Despite an absence of significant differences between the MET and the TAU groups on the overall formal outcome measures, there were nevertheless differences between the groups. Specifically, the MET groups appeared to foster longer term motivation and engagement, and to promote treatment continuation. Conclusion The results tentatively suggest that MET could be valuable for the treatment of inpatient eating disorder patients and further research is warranted. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [source]


Personality traits and self-injurious behaviour in patients with eating disorders

EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW, Issue 4 2008
Jennie Ahrén-Moonga
Abstract The interest in different aspects of personality and the neuropsychological basis for behaviour in eating disorder patients has increased over the last decade. The present study aims at exploring personality traits, self-injurious behaviour (SIB) and suicide attempts in a group of severely ill eating disorder patients. Patients with eating disorders (N,=,38) and age-matched controls (N,=,67) were examined concerning self-reported personality traits by means of the Karolinska scales of personality (KSP). Psychosocial history and SIB was collected from medical records. Depression was rated by means of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results indicated significantly higher anxiety-related and detachment traits in both anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) patients and higher hostility in BN patients than controls. No specific personality traits could be defined as typical for self-injurious or suicidal behaviour. The AN group was lower than the BN group on scales measuring impulsivity, guilt and anxiety. Furthermore, presence of SIB and suicide attempts was more frequent among the BN patients. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [source]


Adults with chronic eating disorders.

EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW, Issue 4 2005
Two-year follow-up after inpatient treatment
Abstract Objective The aims of this prospective study were (1) to report on the 2-year outcome of chronically ill adult eating disorder patients, (2) to investigate whether a specialized inpatient treatment might influence the course of the illness, and (3) to search for prognostic factors. Method Seventy-two patients were treated in a 4,5-month specialized group treatment programme for chronically ill adults with eating disorders. Sixty-five (90%) with mean age of 30 years were available for the follow-up assessment. Results Forty-six (71%) patients had improved at the 2-year follow-up and 17 (26%) did not meet diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder. The symptom reductions per time were statistically significantly larger during the inpatient period compared to the waiting-list and follow-up periods. No significant predictors of treatment outcome were found. Patients with avoidant personality disorder had a higher level of distress at all times, but improved at the same rate as the others. Conclusion At the 2-year follow-up, there were substantial reductions in eating disorder symptoms and general psychiatric symptoms. Most of the improvement occurred during inpatient treatment, which might be an option for chronic eating disorders. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [source]


The impact of physical and sexual abuse on body image in eating disorders

EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW, Issue 2 2005
Tamás Treuer
Abstract Objective The role of childhood sexual abuse as a risk factor for the development of eating disorders has gained considerable attention in the literature in the last few years, especially its role in bulimia nervosa. Although physical abuse was also frequently explored in the history of patients with eating disorders, its role was unclear in the aetiopathogenesis of these disorders. The goal of our study was to test the hypothesis, based on our clinical experience, that physical abuse is more frequent in eating disorders than thought previously and that the patient's distortion in body image is more severe in these cases. Method A standardized interview method was used to elicit details of physical and sexual abuse in a group of 63 patients with eating disorders. The frequency of laxative use and the severity of body image distortion was also examined with the Body Attitude Test. These clinical data were analysed on the whole sample and also on the subgroups of eating disorders. Results We found significantly more severe body image distortions in those patients who had been physically abused (p,<,0.05) and there were significantly more severe body image distortions in those patients who had a history of laxative abuse (p,<,0.001). Sexual abuse occured in 29%, physical abuse in 57% and laxative abuse in 46% within the whole sample of examined eating disorder patients. Physical abuse and laxative abuse were the most frequent in the binge eating/purging type of anorexia nervosa (92% and 69%). Also, these patients had the worse rates on sexual abuse and body image distortion items. According to our results, the presence of sexual abuse was not associated with more severe body image distortion in eating disorder patients. Conclusions Childhood physical abuse seems to be a more important factor in the development of body image distortion than had been thought before; its importance in this aspect may be greater than sexual abuse. Physical abuse, laxative abuse and the binge,purge subtype in anorexia nervosa are a considerable risk factor for the severity of the distortion in body image and their presence makes the prognosis of the eating disorder worse. Further studies of the nature of these relationships are warranted. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [source]


The changing profile of eating disorders at a tertiary psychiatric clinic in Hong Kong (1987,2007)

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS, Issue 4 2010
Sing Lee MBBS
Abstract Objective: To examine the clinical profile of Chinese eating disorder patients at a tertiary psychiatric clinic in Hong Kong from 1987 to 2007. Method: Data on 195 consecutive patients were retrieved from a standardized intake interview by an eating disorder specialist. Patients seen between 1987,1997 (n = 67) and 1998,2007 (n = 128) and fat-phobic (n = 76) and nonfat-phobic (n = 39) anorexic patients were compared. Results: Patients were predominantly single (91.8%), female (99.0%), in their early-20s and suffered from anorexia (n = 115; 59.0%) or bulimia (n = 78; 40.0%) nervosa. The number of patients increased twofold across the two periods. Bulimia nervosa became more common while anorexia nervosa exhibited an increasingly fat-phobic pattern. Nonfat-phobic anorexic patients exhibited significantly lower premorbid body weight, less body dissatisfaction, less weight control behavior, and lower EAT-26 scores than fat-phobic anorexic patients. Discussion: The clinical profile of eating disorders in Hong Kong has increasingly conformed to that of Western countries. © 2009 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2010 [source]


Social comparison as a coping strategy among caregivers of eating disorder patients

JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 9 2010
I. JÁUREGUI LOBERA md phd
Accessible summary ,,The paper describes social comparisons among caregivers of eating disorder patients as a coping strategy. ,,Different social comparison strategies were assessed in a sample of 96 caregivers as well as their self-esteem, characteristics of personality and perceived quality of life. ,,The use of unfavourable strategies was correlated to neuroticism and low self-esteem. ,,Women adopted worse strategies and the fact that having obtained different subgroups regarding the use of those strategies could have prognostic repercussions. Abstract The aim of the study was to determine any gender differences in the social comparisons made by caregivers of eating disorder patients and to analyse the relationship between social comparison and personality, age of caregivers, self-esteem, duration of illness, duration of treatment and perceived health and quality of life. We also explored the possibility of classifying caregivers according to these variables. Comparison strategies were analysed in a sample of 96 caregivers of eating disorder patients. The social comparison during illness scale, visual analogue scales of health and quality of life, self-esteem scale of Rosenberg and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire were used. In order to explore possible groupings a cluster analysis was performed. A significant correlation between the use of more unfavourable strategies, neuroticism and low self-esteem was found. Women adopted worse strategies and the cluster analysis revealed two sub-groups with respect to comparisons, personality, self-esteem, self-perceived health status and quality of life. The finding of subgroups associated with worse comparison strategies, higher neuroticism, lower self-esteem and a poorer self-perception of health and quality of life could have repercussions as regards the prognosis of eating disorders and, at all events, should be taken into account during therapeutic work with families. [source]


A novel approach to treating eating disorders in a day-hospital treatment program

NUTRITION & DIETETICS, Issue 3 2010
Mellisa ASHLEY
Abstract Aim:, The aim of the present study was to evaluate the short-term effectiveness of an adult day-hospital program that uses a novel approach to delivering nutritional interventions. Methods:, Fifty-six adult eating disorder patients of the Sydney West Area Eating Disorders Day Treatment Program participated in the study. Participants completed standardised self-reported questionnaires designed to measure eating disorder symptoms, at the commencement of treatment and after 12 weeks. Results:, Participation in day-hospital treatment was associated with increases in weight, reductions in number of binge-eating and purging episodes, and frequency of exercise sessions. Participants also experienced improvements in their eating attitudes, drive for thinness, bulimia, depression and anxiety symptoms. Conclusion:, These findings add to the growing body of literature supporting the use of day-hospital programs in the treatment of eating disorders. A number of strategies are suggested for the effective delivery of nutritional interventions in day-hospital programs, such as methods that assist with integrating new information, having an experiential focus and the use of collaborative education processes. [source]


Lifetime substance abuse, family history of alcohol abuse/dependence and novelty seeking in eating disorders: Comparison study of eating disorder subgroups

PSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES, Issue 1 2009
Isabel Krug phd
Aim:, To assess lifetime substance abuse, family history of alcohol abuse/dependence, and novelty seeking in three different eating disorder groups (anorexia nervosa,restrictive; anorexia nervosa,binge eating/purging; anorexia nervosa to bulimia nervosa). Method:, A total sample of 371 eating disorder patients participated in the current study. Assessment measures included the prevalence of substance abuse and family history of alcohol abuse/dependence as well as the novelty-seeking subscale of the Temperament and Character Inventory,Revised. Results:, Significant differences across groups were detected for lifetime substance abuse, with anorexia nervosa,restrictive individuals exhibiting a significant lower prevalence than the anorexia nervosa to bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa,binge eating/ purging patients (P < 0.01). For family history of alcohol abuse/dependence the same pattern was observed (P = 0.04). Novelty seeking was associated with substance abuse (P = 0.002), with the anorexia nervosa to bulimia nervosa group exhibiting significantly higher scores on the novelty-seeking scale than the other two groups (P < 0.001). But family history of alcohol abuse/dependence was not related to novelty seeking (P = 0.092). Conclusion:, Lifetime substance abuse appears to be more prevalent in anorexia nervosa patients with bulimic features. Higher novelty-seeking scores may be associated with diagnosis cross-over. [source]