"I'm still here, but no one hears you": a qualitative study of young women's experiences of persistent distress post family-based treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa

BACKGROUND

Family-based treatment (FBT) is the current treatment of choice for adolescent AN based on positive outcomes that include weight restoration in around two-thirds of adolescents. Nevertheless around a quarter drop-out from treatment, particularly in the earlier phases, and a notable proportion of treated adolescents are reported to experience ongoing psychological distress during and post-treatment. This study explores the under-researched experiences of these adolescents.

METHOD

Fourteen participants from Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom were interviewed about their experiences of FBT. An inductive thematic analysis of interview transcript data generated key themes related to their experiences, identity negotiations and the discursive materials these used to construct these.

RESULTS

The participants identified working as a family unit as key to their recovery, highlighting the importance of family therapy interventions for adolescent AN. However, they perceived an almost exclusive focus on weight restoration in the first phase of FBT was associated with experiences that included a relative neglect of their psychological distress and a loss of voice. Key within these experiences were processes whereby the adolescent engaged in identity negotiation and (re)claiming of their voice and implicit in their family standing with them in the treatment was that their life was worth saving. What was noted as most helpful was when therapists advocated and took into consideration their unique needs and preferences and tailored treatment interventions to these.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a need to develop and research treatments that address, from the outset of treatment, the adolescents' psychological distress (including as experienced in the context of their weight restoration). This should be with priority accorded to the adolescent's voice and identity negotiations, as they and their families take steps to address the physical crisis of AN and in doing so, support more holistic and durable recovery.

Moderators of treatment outcomes in a partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient program for eating disorders

Eating disorders cause a number of severely impairing symptoms that may require more intensive intervention that is available through outpatient therapy services. The PHP/IOP level of care may be an effective mode of treatment in these cases, but few studies have examined overall outcomes or treatment moderators for this level of care. Using a large sample from a PHP/IOP specifically designed for the treatment of eating disorders, the current study examines a variety of symptoms (eating disorder severity, quality of life, depression, etc.) from admission to discharge, as well as potential moderators of treatment, including demographic and clinical factors. Overall, the PHP/IOP level of care was found to improve treatment outcomes. Age, race, gender, and depression were found to moderate the change in quality of life and functional impairment. Additionally, patients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa had significantly lowered quality of life and greater eating disorder symptomatology than all other diagnoses. The results of this study can help to inform clinical practice and help guide in treatment decisions at the partial hospitalization level of care.

Augmentative Approaches in Family-Based Treatment for Adolescents with Restrictive Eating Disorders: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE

To systematically review the literature reporting outcomes of augmentative family-based treatment (FBT) interventions for adolescents with restrictive eating disorders (EDs).

METHOD

Articles were identified through a systematic search of five electronic databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Database).

RESULTS

Thirty articles were included, reporting on FBT augmentations featuring adjunctive treatment components, modified treatment structure and/or content with adherence to FBT principles, and adaptations allowing FBT delivery in different settings. All reported significant improvements in weight and/or ED symptoms at end-of-treatment, although few compared augmentative and standard FBT interventions and good quality follow-up data was generally lacking.

CONCLUSIONS

There is early evidence for the effectiveness of augmentative FBT-based approaches in facilitating weight and/or ED symptom improvements for adolescents with restrictive EDs. There remains a lack of robust evidence demonstrating superior effects of such approaches over standard FBT, and further controlled studies are required to expand on the current evidence. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Multi-family therapy in anorexia nervosa--A qualitative study of parental experiences

This qualitative study from northern Sweden investigated experiences of multi-family therapy (MFT) in 12 parents of children with anorexia nervosa (AN). The main reported benefit was the opportunity to talk to others in a similar situation, thereby sharing experiences and struggles. MFT resulted in new perspectives and insights that improved family dynamics and enabled new constructive behaviors. In conclusion, MFT seems to be a useful therapeutic modality in the treatment of AN in a northern European setting.