Treatment Utilization and Medical Problems in a Community Sample of Adult Women With Anorexia Nervosa

Frontiers in Psychology

article

Brooks Brodrick¹  Jessica A. Harper¹  Erin Van Enkevort¹  Carrie J. McAdams¹ 

[1] Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, United States;Parkland Health and Hospital System Dallas, United States;Children’s Medical Center Dallas, United States

关键词: eating disorders;    bulimia nervosa;    recovery;    longitudinal;    cohort;    treatment;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00981

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Anorexia nervosa (AN) has a prolonged course of illness, making both defining recovery and determining optimal outpatient treatments difficult. Here, we report the types of treatments utilized in a naturalistic sample of adult women with AN in Texas. Participants were recruited from earlier studies of women with AN ( n = 28) and in weight recovery following AN ( n = 18). Participants provided information about both their illness and treatments during their most severe period as well as during the 2–6 years following original assessments. Based upon their baseline and follow-up clinical status participants were classified as remaining ill (AN-CC, n = 17), newly in recovery (AN-CR, n = 11), and sustained weight-recovery (AN-WR, n = 18). Utilization of health care institutions and providers were compared across groups. There were no differences in groups related to symptoms or treatments utilized during the severe-period. During the follow-up period, intensive outpatient programs were utilized significantly more by the AN-CC group than the other groups, and dietitians were seen significantly less by the AN-WR group. Medical complications related to the ED were significantly more common in the AN-CC group. All groups maintained similar levels of contact with outpatient psychiatrists, therapists, and primary care physicians. Current treatments remain ineffective for a subset of AN participants. Future prospective studies assessing medical health and comorbidities in AN may provide additional insights into disease severity and predictors of clinical outcome.

【 授权许可】

CC BY