Compulsory treatment in eating disorders: Control, provocation, and the coercion paradox

Discordant conceptualisations of eating disorder recovery and their influence on the construct of terminality

Eating disorders (EDs) are complex, multifaceted conditions that significantly impact quality-of-life, often co-occur with multiple medical and psychiatric diagnoses, and are associated with a high risk of medical sequelae and mortality. Fortunately, many people recover even after decades of illness, although there are different conceptualisations of recovery and understandings of how recovery is experienced. Differences in these conceptualisations influence categorisations of ED experiences (e.g., longstanding vs. short-duration EDs), prognoses, recommended treatment pathways, and research into treatment outcomes. Within recent years, the proposal of a 'terminal' illness stage for a subset of individuals with anorexia nervosa and arguments for the prescription of end-of-life pathways for such individuals has ignited debate. Semantic choices are influential in ED care, and it is critical to consider how conceptualisations of illness and recovery and power dynamics influence outcomes and the ED 'staging' discourse. Conceptually, 'terminality' interrelates with understandings of recovery, efficacy of available treatments, iatrogenic harm, and complex co-occurring diagnoses, as well as the functions of an individual's eating disorder, and the personal and symbolic meanings an individual may hold regarding suffering, self-starvation, death, health and life. Our authorship represents a wide range of lived and living experiences of EDs, treatment, and recovery, ranging from longstanding and severe EDs that may meet descriptors of a 'terminal' ED to a variety of definitions of 'recovery'. Our experiences have given rise to a shared motivation to analyse how existing discourses of terminality and recovery, as found in existing research literature and policy, may shape the conceptualisations, beliefs, and actions of individuals with EDs and the healthcare systems that seek to serve them.

Involuntary Treatment for Child and Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa-A Narrative Review and Possible Advances to Move Away from Coercion

BACKGROUND

Children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders frequently experience hospital treatment as coercive. In particular, for patients with severe anorexia nervosa (AN), clinical and ethical challenges often arise if they do not voluntarily agree to hospital admission, often due to the ego-syntonic nature of the disorder. In these cases, involuntary treatment (IVT) might be life-saving. However, coercion can cause patients to experience excruciating feelings of pressure and guilt and might have long-term consequences.

METHODS

This narrative review aimed to summarize the current empirical findings regarding IVT for child and adolescent AN. Furthermore, it aimed to present alternative treatment programs to find a collaborative method of treatment for young AN patients and their families.

RESULTS

Empirical data on IVT show that even though no inferiority of IVT has been reported regarding treatment outcomes, involuntary hospital treatment takes longer, and IVT patients seem to struggle significantly more with weight restoration. We argue that more patient- and family-oriented treatment options, such as home treatment, might offer a promising approach to shorten or even avoid involuntary hospital admissions and further IVT. Different home treatment approaches, either aiming at preventing hospitalization or at shortening hospital stays, and the results of pilot studies are summarized in this article.

Involuntary treatment: A qualitative study from the perspectives of individuals with anorexia nervosa

OBJECTIVE

Involuntary treatment for anorexia nervosa (AN) is sometimes necessary and lifesaving but can be experienced negatively by some individuals. The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand participants' perceptions about their experience with involuntary treatment for AN.

METHOD

Thirty adult participants, who had been treated involuntarily for AN in the past, completed self-report measures and qualitative interviews. Interview transcripts were coded using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Three themes were identified: (1) mixed perceptions about involuntary treatment, (2) the impact of involuntary treatment on external factors, including relationships, education, and employment, and (3) lessons learned from the experience. Participants who endorsed a positive shift in perspective regarding the need for involuntary treatment also reported favorable changes in their eating disorder recovery, whereas individuals whose perspective about their involuntary treatment remained negative, showed no changes in their recovery post-treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Involuntary treatment for AN was recognized, in retrospect, as being beneficial by individuals with AN who were doing well, but individuals who continued to struggle with their eating disorder reported negative consequences.

Clinical and Ethical Dilemmas in the Involuntary Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After completing this activity, practitioners will be better able to:• Discuss the growing body literature emphasizing moderation and harm-reduction in patients with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa (SE-AN)• Outline and discuss the legal, ethical, and medical challenges inpatient providers face when treating patients with SE-AN.

ABSTRACT

Patients with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa (SE-AN) present numerous clinical and ethical challenges for the hospital psychiatrist. Patients typically come to the hospital in a state of severe medical compromise. Common difficulties in the period of acute medical stabilization include assessment of decision-making capacity and the right to decline treatment, as well as legally complex decisions pertaining to administering artificial nutrition over the patient's objection. Following acute medical stabilization, the psychiatric consultant must decide whether psychiatric hospitalization for continued treatment is indicated, and if so, whether involuntary hospitalization is indicated. The standard of care in these situations is unclear. Pragmatic issues such as lack of appropriate facilities for specialized treatment are common. If involuntary hospitalization is not approved or not pursued, there may be difficulty in determining whether, when, and how to involve palliative care consultants to guide further management. These cases are complex and largely reside in a medico-legal and ethical gray area. This article discusses the difficulties associated with these cases and supports a growing body of literature emphasizing moderation and harm-reduction in patients with SE-AN. Physician-assisted dying (PAD) is also discussed.

Severe and Enduring Anorexia Nervosa and Futility: A Time for Every Purpose?

The concept of futility in the treatment of individuals with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa remains controversial and has significant legal and ethical considerations. For those who have been unremittingly ill for 8 to 12 years, full recovery, although possible, is unlikely, and alternatives to traditional, active treatment must be explored. The harm reduction model, palliative care, and end-of-life care are explored as meaningful and reasonable treatments for this population. Landmark cases demonstrating the legal and ethical controversy of such treatment are explored.

Compulsory treatments in eating disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

The aims of this systematic review and meta-analysis are to provide a summary of the current literature concerning compulsory treatments in patients with eating disorders (ED) and to understand whether compulsorily and involuntarily treated patients differ in terms of baseline characteristics and treatment outcomes.

METHODS

Relevant articles were identified following the PRISMA guidelines by searching the following terms: "treatment refusal", "forced feeding", "compulsory/coercive/involuntary/forced treatment/admission", "eating disorders", "feeding and eating disorders", "anorexia nervosa", "bulimia nervosa". Research was restricted to articles concerning humans and published between 1975 and 2020 in English.

RESULTS

Out of 905 articles retrieved, nine were included for the analyses allowing the comparisons between 242 compulsorily and 738 voluntarily treated patients. Mean body mass index (BMI) was slightly lower in patients compelled to treatments. Mean illness duration, BMI at discharge and BMI variation showed no significant differences between the two groups. Average length of hospitalization was 3 weeks longer among compulsory-treated patients, but this did not result in a higher increase in BMI. No significant risk difference on mortality was estimated (three studies).

CONCLUSIONS

Compulsory treatments are usually intended for patients having worse baseline conditions than voluntary ones. Those patients are unlikely to engage in treatments without being compelled but, after the treatments, albeit with longer hospitalisations, they do achieve similar outcomes. Therefore, we can conclude that forcing patients to treatment is a conceivable option.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level I, systematic review and meta-analysis.

Refusal of Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa: Mental Health Professionals' Opinion on Willingness and Role Stress

INTRODUCTION

The hospitalisation of patients with anorexia nervosa poses an important bioethical quandary and can generate stress for the healthcare professionals. Our goal was to know and analyse the opinion of mental health professionals on some conditions for applying the involuntary hospitalisation of patients with anorexia nervosa.

METHODS

Cross-sectional descriptive observational study on a sample of 270 mental health professionals, using an ad hoc questionnaire with scores ranging from 0 to 10.

RESULTS

The professionals state that, in some cases, the patient accepts admission reluctantly: 7.74 (95% CI, 7.55-7.93). In the event of physical risk, it is difficult for them to combine respect for the patient's autonomy and the duty of care: 6.06 (95% CI, 5.70-6.41) and the relationship with the patient is largely oriented to convince them: 7.18 (95% CI, 6.91-7.46). They do not decide on the suitability of the participation of non-medical staff in the decision: 5.13 (95% CI, 4.75-5.52), or if the indication should correspond to someone other than the doctor in charge of their care: 4.79 (95% CI, 4.39-5.19). They reject the possibility of conscientious objection: 4.05 (95% CI, 3.68-4.41).

CONCLUSIONS

Mental health professionals are subject to ambiguous work demands, which affects their care dynamics.

Compulsory Interventions in Severe and Persistent Mental Illness: A Survey on Attitudes Among Psychiatrists in Switzerland

Background: Some psychiatric patients develop severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI), which, for a variety of reasons, can be therapy-refractory. Sometimes, treatment is not considered helpful by the patients themselves and does not improve their subjective quality of life. Furthermore, many SPMI patients experience compulsory interventions such as seclusion, restraint, or treatment against their will, which can cause harm. Methods: In a cross-sectional survey of 1,311 German-speaking psychiatrists in Switzerland, participants were asked about the care of SPMI patients in general, and about their attitudes with regard to compulsory interventions in particular, using three case vignettes of patients with severe and persistent anorexia nervosa, schizophrenia and depression. Results: Out of 1,311 contacted psychiatrists, 457 (34.9%) returned the completed survey. In general, 91.0% found it important or very important to respect SPMI patients' autonomy in decision making. However, based on three different clinical case vignettes, 36.8% of psychiatrists would act against the wishes of the patient with severe and persistent schizophrenia, 34.1% against the wishes of the patient with severe and persistent depression, and 21.1% against the wishes of the patient with severe and persistent anorexia nervosa, although all patients were stated to have preserved decision-making capacity. With regard to the case vignettes, 41.1% considered compulsory interventions leading to a temporary reduction of quality of life acceptable in the patient with severe and persistent schizophrenia, 39.4% in the patient with severe and persistent depression, and 25.6% in the patient with severe and persistent anorexia nervosa, although it was stated in all three case vignettes that two independent experts ascribed the patients decision-making capacity regarding their illness and further treatment. Conclusions: Many psychiatrists in our sample found themselves in an ethical dilemma between autonomy and the provision of medical care. While most respondents respect the autonomy of SPMI patients, many saw the need to perform compulsory interventions even though it was clearly and prominently stated that two independent psychiatrists had ascribed the patients in the case vignettes decision-making capacity. Further examination of these conflicting views is warranted, perhaps along with the development of guidelines for such situations.

Medical Complications of Anorexia Nervosa

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to describe the medical complications of anorexia nervosa (AN) to enable a consult-liaison psychiatrist to be familiar with these complications when involved with the care of a hospitalized patient with AN.

METHODS

Comprehensive PubMed search of English language publications of adult patients with AN was carried out using keywords, phrases, and medical subject headings of anorexia nervosa-medical complications, cardiac, osteoporosis, gastrointestinal, hematological, and endocrine. The database search was restricted by time of publication of studies from 2005 to 2020.

RESULTS

Every organ system can be adversely affected by AN. Most are fully reversible with time and informed medical care. A multidisciplinary team is needed to optimally care for patients who are hospitalized as a result of the medical complications of their AN.

CONCLUSIONS

Consult-liaison psychiatrists are asked to help in the care of patients with AN who are admitted to a hospital because of a medical complication of their illness. Being familiar with these complications and their treatments will optimize their hospital stays and the care provided. In addition, involving other relevant ancillary services is an important care consideration.