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Robison M, Udupa NS, Abber SR, Duffy A, Riddle M, Manwaring J, Rienecke RD, Westmoreland P, Blalock DV, Le Grange D, Mehler PS, Joiner TE. "Terminal anorexia nervosa" may not be terminal: An empirical evaluation. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND CLINICAL SCIENCE 2024; 133:285-296. [PMID: 38619462 PMCID: PMC11062513 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Gaudiani et al. (2022) presented terminal anorexia nervosa (T-AN) as a potential new specifier to the anorexia nervosa (AN) diagnosis, with criteria including (a) AN diagnosis, (b) age > 30 years, (c) previously participated in high-quality care, and (d) the clear, consistent determination by a patient with decision-making capacity that additional treatment would be futile, knowing death will result. This study's purpose was to empirically examine a subgroup of participants with AN who met the first three criteria of T-AN-and a smaller subset who also met a proxy index of the fourth criterion involving death (TD-AN)-and compare them to an adult "not terminal" anorexia nervosa (NT-AN) group and to a "not terminal" subset 30 years of age or older (NTO-AN). Patients at U.S. eating disorder treatment facilities (N = 782; T-AN: n = 51, TD-AN: n = 16, NT-AN: n = 731, NTO-AN: n = 133), all of whom met criteria for a current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition diagnosis of AN, were compared regarding admission, discharge, and changes from admission to discharge on physiological indices (i.e., white blood cell counts, albumin levels, aspartate aminotransferase levels, and body mass index), as well as self-report measures (i.e., eating disorder, depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms). In contrast to the tight syndromal symptom interconnections of, and inevitable spiral toward death expected for, a terminal diagnosis, results suggest substantial variability within the T-AN group and TD-AN subset, and an overall trend of improvement across physiological and self-report measures. This study thus provides some empirical evidence against the specification of the T-AN diagnosis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Alan Duffy
- Eating Recovery Center, Denver, Colorado, United States
- Pathlight Mood and Anxiety Center, Denver, Colorado, United States
| | - Megan Riddle
- ACUTE at Denver Health, Denver, Colorado, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington
| | - Jamie Manwaring
- Eating Recovery Center, Denver, Colorado, United States
- Pathlight Mood and Anxiety Center, Denver, Colorado, United States
- ACUTE at Denver Health, Denver, Colorado, United States
| | - Renee D. Rienecke
- Eating Recovery Center, Denver, Colorado, United States
- Pathlight Mood and Anxiety Center, Denver, Colorado, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University
| | | | - Dan V. Blalock
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine
| | - Daniel Le Grange
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago
| | - Philip S. Mehler
- Eating Recovery Center, Denver, Colorado, United States
- Pathlight Mood and Anxiety Center, Denver, Colorado, United States
- ACUTE at Denver Health, Denver, Colorado, United States
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine
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Ålgars M, Oshukova S, Suokas J. A novel outpatient treatment model for patients with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa: an observational study of patient characteristics, treatment goals, and treatment course. J Eat Disord 2023; 11:150. [PMID: 37674214 PMCID: PMC10481592 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-023-00877-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Approximately 20-30% of people with anorexia nervosa develop an enduring form of the disorder. In the present study a newly developed outpatient treatment unit for patients with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa was described. The treatment model is flexible, patient-centered, and aims at enhancing quality of life, maintaining medical stability, and minimizing harm. Treatment contents, patient characteristics, treatment goals, and course of treatment from the first five years of operation were described and analyzed. METHODS The participants (N = 22) consisted of all referrals resulting in an assessment or treatment period at the unit between May 2017 and May 2022. All participants were women. The study was a registry study. Information regarding patient characteristics, treatment goals, and the course of treatment was gathered from medical records. RESULTS On average, the participants had had a diagnosed eating disorder for 12.80 years, and self-reported eating disorder symptoms for 19 years. Their symptomatology included severe eating disorder symptoms, psychiatric comorbidities, extreme underweight, and co-occurring medical conditions. Their treatment goals commonly concerned improving physical health, reducing eating disorder symptoms, improving psychological well-being, and improving quality of life. The majority of participants for whom this information was available benefited from the treatment (60%) and their treatment goals were met or partly met (66.6%), as measured by evaluations made by the patient or the treatment team. More than two thirds (69.2%) of the participants for whom this information was available remained weight stable or showed an increase in BMI. CONCLUSIONS This observational study suggests that many individuals with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa may benefit from flexible treatment, aiming at supporting quality of life. The results highlight the importance of coordinating and integrating the treatment of severe and enduring anorexia nervosa and co-occurring psychiatric disorders as well as medical complications. Further research and international dialogue about the how treatment for this vulnerable patient group should best be organized is called for. Trial registration Trial registration number: NCT05708404. Date of registration: 01/23/2023 (retrospectively registered).
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Ålgars
- Eating Disorder Unit, HUS Helsinki University Hospital, PB 282, 00029, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, PB 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Svetlana Oshukova
- Eating Disorder Unit, HUS Helsinki University Hospital, PB 282, 00029, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaana Suokas
- Eating Disorder Unit, HUS Helsinki University Hospital, PB 282, 00029, Helsinki, Finland
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Downs J, Ayton A, Collins L, Baker S, Missen H, Ibrahim A. Untreatable or unable to treat? Creating more effective and accessible treatment for long-standing and severe eating disorders. Lancet Psychiatry 2023; 10:146-154. [PMID: 36697122 DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(22)00400-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The evidence base for the treatment of severe eating disorders is limited. In addition to improving access to early intervention, there is a need to develop more effective treatments for complex presentations of eating disorders. For patients with long-standing and severe illnesses, particular difficulties might exist with their engagement with treatment and achieving treatment outcomes. Alarmingly, there is an emerging international discourse about a concept labelled as terminal anorexia and about the withdrawal of treatment for people with severe eating disorders, resulting in the death of patients, as a legitimate option. This concept has arisen in the context of vastly overstretched specialist services and insufficient research and funding for new treatments. This Personal View combines multiple perspectives from carers, patients, and mental health professionals based in the UK, highlighting how the risks of current service provision are best alleviated by increasing resources, capacity, and training, and not by a narrowing of the criteria according to which patients with eating disorders are offered the care and support they need.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Downs
- Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, UK; Faculty of Wellbeing, Education, and Language Studies, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK.
| | - Agnes Ayton
- Department of Psychiatry, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
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Barko EB, Moorman SM. Weighing in: qualitative explorations of weight restoration as recovery in anorexia nervosa. J Eat Disord 2023; 11:14. [PMID: 36721222 PMCID: PMC9887881 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-023-00736-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anorexia Nervosa (AN) continues to capture the public's imagination, centered around physical appearance, particularly weight. Clinical conceptions of AN also emphasize weight. The objective of this study was to explore how individuals with lived AN experience thought about the role of weight in illness and recovery. METHODS The current study employed a grounded theory approach through qualitative inductive inquiry and analysis of 150 anonymous narratives, exploring firsthand experience of AN and recovery of adult individuals, based in the United States of America. RESULTS Individuals with AN histories contested intersecting popular cultural and medical presumptions of their health and illness positioned in weight. Respondents indicated that while weight does not measure recovery, it matters to recovery in unanticipated ways. Others' expectations for a low weight served as a gatekeeper to various forms of social and institutional support. Respondents felt that the weight obsessions of other people made it difficult to earn the illness legitimacy to access sufficient care. CONCLUSIONS Research findings bear implications for future AN research, advocacy, and clinical practice, as respondents pivot research emphasis from weight as a sociocultural motivation for AN, to weight as a sociocultural obstacle to AN recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily B Barko
- Department of Sociology, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, McGuinn Hall 426, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA.
| | - Sara M Moorman
- Department of Sociology, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, McGuinn Hall 426, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
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Abstract
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.
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Calabrese L, Scolnick B, Zupec-Kania B, Beckwith C, Costello K, Frank GKW. Ketogenic diet and ketamine infusion treatment to target chronic persistent eating disorder psychopathology in anorexia nervosa: a pilot study. Eat Weight Disord 2022; 27:3751-3757. [PMID: 35997954 PMCID: PMC9803738 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-022-01455-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe psychiatric disorder, and shape and weight concerns are often chronic despite weight normalization. No specific treatments exist for those preoccupations that interfere with recovery and trigger relapse. A case study using a ketogenic diet followed by ketamine infusions led to sustained remission in one patient with chronic AN. Here we conducted an open-label trial to test whether this response could be replicated. METHODS Five adults weight recovered from AN but with persistent eating disorder thoughts and behaviors adopted a therapeutic ketogenic diet (TKD) aimed at maintaining weight. After sustaining nutritional ketosis, participants received six ketamine infusions and were followed over 6 months. RESULTS All participants completed the study protocol without significant adverse effects. Two participants maintained TKD for 8 weeks prior to ketamine infusions due to good behavioral response and remained on TKD. Three participants received TKD for 4 weeks prior to and during ketamine, then tapered off after the final infusion. The group showed significant improvements on the Clinical Impairment Assessment (p = 0.008), Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDEQ) Global score (p = 0.006), EDEQ-Eating Concerns (p = 0.005), EDEQ-Shape Concerns (p = 0.016), EDEQ-Weight Concerns (p = 0.032), Eating Disorders Recovery Questionnaire (EDRQ) Acceptance of Self and Body (0.027) and EDRQ-Social and Emotional Connection (p = 0.001). Weight remained stable, except for one participant who relapsed 4 months after treatment and off TKD. CONCLUSION This novel treatment appears to be safe and effective for adults with chronic AN-related psychopathology. The results from this open trial support that there are specific neurobiological underpinnings of AN that can be normalized using TKD and ketamine. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level IV, multiple time series with intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Kayla Costello
- Center of Excellence in Eating and Weight Disorders, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Guido K W Frank
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
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Hower H, LaMarre A, Bachner-Melman R, Harrop EN, McGilley B, Kenny TE. Conceptualizing eating disorder recovery research: Current perspectives and future research directions. J Eat Disord 2022; 10:165. [PMID: 36380392 PMCID: PMC9664434 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-022-00678-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND How we research eating disorder (ED) recovery impacts what we know (perceive as fact) about it. Traditionally, research has focused more on the "what" of recovery (e.g., establishing criteria for recovery, reaching consensus definitions) than the "how" of recovery research (e.g., type of methodologies, triangulation of perspectives). In this paper we aim to provide an overview of the ED field's current perspectives on recovery, discuss how our methodologies shape what is known about recovery, and suggest a broadening of our methodological "toolkits" in order to form a more complete picture of recovery. BODY: This paper examines commonly used methodologies in research, and explores how incorporating different perspectives can add to our understanding of the recovery process. To do this, we (1) provide an overview of commonly used methodologies (quantitative, qualitative), (2) consider their benefits and limitations, (3) explore newer approaches, including mixed-methods, creative methods (e.g., Photovoice, digital storytelling), and multi-methods (e.g., quantitative, qualitative, creative methods, psycho/physiological, behavioral, laboratory, online observations), and (4) suggest that broadening our methodological "toolkits" could spur more nuanced and specific insights about ED recoveries. We propose a potential future research model that would ideally have a multi-methods design, incorporate different perspectives (e.g., expanding recruitment of diverse participants, including supportive others, in study co-creation), and a longitudinal course (e.g., capturing cognitive and emotional recovery, which often comes after physical). In this way, we hope to move the field towards different, more comprehensive, perspectives on ED recovery. CONCLUSION Our current perspectives on studying ED recovery leave critical gaps in our knowledge about the process. The traditional research methodologies impact our conceptualization of recovery definitions, and in turn limit our understanding of the phenomenon. We suggest that we expand our range of methodologies, perspectives, and timeframes in research, in order to form a more complete picture of what is possible in recovery; the multiple aspects of an individual's life that can improve, the greater number of people who can recover than previously believed, and the reaffirmation of hope that, even after decades, individuals can begin, and successfully continue, their ED recovery process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Hower
- Department of Psychiatry, Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, University of California at San Diego School of Medicine, 4510 Executive Drive, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA. .,Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Hassenfeld Child Innovation Institute, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI, 02903, USA.
| | - Andrea LaMarre
- School of Psychology, Massey University, North Shore, Private Bag 102-904, Auckland, 0632, New Zealand
| | - Rachel Bachner-Melman
- Clinical Psychology Graduate Program, Ruppin Academic Center, 4025000, Emek-Hefer, Israel.,School of Social Work, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mt. Scopus, 9190501, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Erin N Harrop
- Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver, 2148 S High Street, Denver, CO, 80208, USA
| | - Beth McGilley
- University of Kansas School of Medicine, 1010 N Kansas St, Wichita, KS, 67214, USA
| | - Therese E Kenny
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
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García-Anaya M, Caballero-Romo A, González-Macías L. Maintaining Factors of Anorexia Nervosa Addressed from a Psychotherapeutic Group for Parents: Supplementary Report of a Patient's Therapeutic Success. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:11396. [PMID: 36141668 PMCID: PMC9517022 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
(1) Background: Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder (ED) where up to 30% of individuals remain unresponsive to treatments, whether they partially respond, or do respond and later relapse. It has been broadly reported how presenting maladaptive family functioning and communication style contributes to treatment drop-out, poor treatment compliance, and poor long-term outcomes. We studied the mother and father of a patient with AN, binge-purge subtype (according to DSM-IV TR) who achieved remission after her parents but not her attended an intervention through a psychotherapy group for parents (PGP). (2) Methods: We previously reported this patient's case report, and now, through an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach, we aimed to explore the understanding and meanings ascribed by the mother and father to their experience at the PGP and to their daughter's clinical and functional improvement. (3) Results: We identified two main stages along the process: one related to the presence of maintaining factors of their daughter's disorder, and the other related to the emergence of a reflective function and to the implementation of behavioral, emotional and cognitive changes. (4) Conclusions: The interview revealed both parents' experience at the PGP promoted a change process, where they were able to modify their previous style of communication and functioning, and to identify them as a contributors to maintain their daughter's disorder. Reflective function (RF) emerged in the mother and father throughout the psychotherapeutic process. Both parents also revealed some elements that were intergenerationally transmitted, that affected three generations and contributed to maintaining the ED. We observed the multilevel open-group structure of the PGP, enhancing the mother's and father's change process.
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Affiliation(s)
- María García-Anaya
- Clinical Research Division, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City 14370, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Caballero-Romo
- Eating Disorders Clinic, Clinical Services Division, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City 14370, Mexico
| | - Laura González-Macías
- Eating Disorders Clinic, Clinical Services Division, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City 14370, Mexico
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Reay M, Holliday J, Stewart J, Adams J. Creating a care pathway for patients with longstanding, complex eating disorders. J Eat Disord 2022; 10:128. [PMID: 36038898 PMCID: PMC9421634 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-022-00648-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recovery rates for people with eating disorders are low; fewer than half recover and approximately 20% develop a longstanding eating disorder. Patients with longstanding eating disorders are often referred to as "SEED" (severe and enduing eating disorders) although this remains controversial and is not acknowledged in the British treatment guidance. This project aimed to generate recommendations for a longstanding eating disorder care pathway by identifying what proportion of patients have longstanding eating disorders and how to best identify and support them. METHODS Initially, a literature review was completed, followed by interviews with service-users who consider themselves to have longstanding eating disorders, and focus groups with staff members. The results were combined to create a definition of a longstanding eating disorder which was used to establish how many service-users could benefit from the pathway. The qualitative data was used to produce recommendations for a tailored pathway for those with longstanding eating disorders. RESULTS The results highlighted that, although "SEED" is often used, participants preferred to be referred to as "longstanding" or having no label. Qualitative analysis identified four themes in relation to supporting this population group which described how to structure the service and individualise care, as well as patients' relationship to the service, and how to build a life after eating disorder services. CONCLUSIONS Recommendations included promoting a hopeful message, focusing on quality of life and introducing peer support. Crucially, accessing the pathway should not result in being labelled "SEED", nor should it prevent access to recovery focused interventions including weight restoration. The full list of recommendations are included as well as the implications of the project and limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Reay
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.
| | | | | | - Joanna Adams
- The Oxford Institute for Clinical Psychology Training and Research, Oxford, UK
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García-Anaya M, Caballero-Romo A, González-Macías L. Parent-Focused Psychotherapy for the Preventive Management of Chronicity in Anorexia Nervosa: A Case Series. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19159522. [PMID: 35954879 PMCID: PMC9368715 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a complex eating disorder where involvement of family plays a central role in first line treatment in adolescents, but which is not so for adults where poor response to treatment is frequent. Given the reluctance of some patients to receive treatment, we set out to explore the hypothesis that certain family dynamics may be involved in the maintenance of the disorder. Methods: We aimed to understand what is underlying in the cases of patients who present clinical improvement with their parents, but not the ones who received a parent-focused psychotherapeutic intervention. We conducted a mixed methods study. On the one hand we performed a case series of 14 patients who dropped out of treatment while their parents actively attended the intervention, and on the other hand, we followed the evolution of the parents of those patients reluctant to continue treatment, through non-participant observation. Results: We present preliminary evidence where we found the parent-focused psychotherapeutic intervention was able to elicit a reflective function of the parents. We also observed that the intervention modified certain family dynamics that could be related to maintaining factors of the disorder. In patients, we found that in parallel to the assistance of their parents to psychotherapeutic treatment, and even when they were receiving no intervention, they showed significant clinical improvement of symptomatology and global functioning; we observed 9 of 14 of them who voluntarily decided to return to pharmacological treatment. Conclusions: This parent-focused intervention elicited changes in reflective functioning of participant parents; the intervention produced favorable changes in family dynamics, which we believe is probably related to improvement of global functioning, symptomatology, and insight of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- María García-Anaya
- Clinical Research Division, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City 14370, Mexico
- Correspondence: (M.G.-A.); (L.G.-M.)
| | - Alejandro Caballero-Romo
- Eating Disorders Clinic at Clinical Services Division, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City 14370, Mexico;
| | - Laura González-Macías
- Eating Disorders Clinic at Clinical Services Division, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City 14370, Mexico;
- Correspondence: (M.G.-A.); (L.G.-M.)
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Spirou D, Raman J, Leith M, Collison J, Bishay RH, Ahlenstiel G, Hay P, Smith E. The psychometric properties of the grazing questionnaire in an obesity sample with and without binge eating disorder. J Eat Disord 2022; 10:82. [PMID: 35710487 PMCID: PMC9202494 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-022-00604-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite being the first validated measure of grazing, the Grazing Questionnaire (GQ) has not been investigated among individuals with obesity. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the GQ in an obesity sample. METHODS Participants (N = 259) were recruited from community and clinical settings in Australia. The sample comprised adults with normal weight (n = 77) and obesity (n = 182). A portion of individuals with obesity (n = 102) had binge eating disorder (BED). Data from the obesity group was examined to establish the factor structure, validity, and reliability of the GQ. A one-way ANOVA with planned contrasts was conducted to compare scores on the GQ across groups. RESULTS Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the 2-factor model of the GQ was the best model fit for individuals with obesity. The GQ demonstrated high internal consistency, test-retest reliability over 3 months, and convergent and divergent validity. As hypothesised, the obesity group had significantly higher scores on the GQ than the normal weight group, while the obesity with BED group had significantly higher scores than the obesity without BED group. CONCLUSION This was the first study to investigate the psychometric properties of the GQ in an obesity sample. Overall, findings indicated that the GQ is a psychometrically sound measure of grazing among individuals with obesity. These findings provide further support for two distinct subtypes of grazing and highlight the importance of increased assessment and management of grazing behaviours for individuals with obesity and eating disorders. Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the greatest challenges for individuals with obesity. Certain eating patterns such as grazing may contribute to difficulties in weight management. Grazing is the repetitive and unplanned eating of small amounts of food that is not related to feeling hungry. Researchers and clinicians often use self-report questionnaires to measure grazing. However, the first validated questionnaire of grazing has not been investigated among individuals with obesity. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine and validate the Grazing Questionnaire in individuals with obesity. Overall, our results showed that the Grazing Questionnaire is a valid and reliable self-report measure of grazing in individuals with obesity. Similar to previous research, we found that there are two subtypes of grazing. The first subtype involves continuous, unplanned eating. The second subtype is associated with a sense of loss of control over eating. We also found that people with obesity and binge eating disorder graze more than people with obesity that do not have binge eating disorder, while both groups graze more than individuals with normal weight. We recommend that clinicians routinely assess and treat unhelpful grazing patterns when working with individuals with obesity and eating disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean Spirou
- Discipline of Clinical Psychology, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. .,Blacktown Metabolic and Weight Loss Program, Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Blacktown Hospital, Blacktown, Sydney, NSW, Australia. .,School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Jayanthi Raman
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Mimi Leith
- School of Psychology, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - James Collison
- Australian College of Applied Professions, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Ramy H Bishay
- Blacktown Metabolic and Weight Loss Program, Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Blacktown Hospital, Blacktown, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Golo Ahlenstiel
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Storr Liver Centre, Westmead Millennium Institute, Westmead Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospitals, WSLHD, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Phillipa Hay
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Camden and Campbelltown Hospitals, SWSLHD, Campbelltown, Australia.,Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Evelyn Smith
- School of Psychology, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Gaudiani JL, Bogetz A, Yager J. Terminal anorexia nervosa: three cases and proposed clinical characteristics. J Eat Disord 2022; 10:23. [PMID: 35168671 PMCID: PMC8845309 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-022-00548-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most individuals with eating disorders will either recover, settle into an unrecovered but self-defined acceptable quality of life, or continue to cycle from crisis to relative stability over time. However, a minority of those with severe and enduring eating disorders recognize after years of trying that recovery remains elusive, and further treatment seems both futile and harmful. No level of harm reduction proves achievable or adequately ameliorates their suffering. In this subgroup, many of those with anorexia nervosa will experience the medical consequences of malnutrition as their future cause of death. Whereas anyone who wishes to keep striving for recovery despite exhaustion and depletion should wholeheartedly be supported in doing so, some patients simply cannot continue to fight. They recognize that death from anorexia nervosa, while perhaps not welcome, will be inevitable. Unfortunately, these patients and their carers often receive minimal support from eating disorders health professionals who are conflicted about terminal care, and who are hampered and limited by the paucity of literature on end-of-life care for those with anorexia nervosa. CASE PRESENTATION Three case studies elucidate this condition. One patient was so passionate about this topic that she asked to be a posthumous co-author of this paper. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with literature on managing terminal illness, this article proposes clinical characteristics of patients who may be considered to have a terminal eating disorder: diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, older age (e.g. age over 30), previous participation in high quality care, and clear and consistent determination by a patient who possesses decision-making capacity that additional treatment would be futile, knowing their actions will result in death. By proposing the clinical characteristics of terminal anorexia nervosa, we hope to educate, inspire compassion, and help providers properly assess these patients and provide appropriate care. We hope that this proposal stimulates further expert consensus definitions and clinical guidelines for management of this population. In our view, these patients deserve the same attendant care and rights as all other patients with terminal illness, up to and including medical aid in dying in jurisdictions where such care is legal.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alyssa Bogetz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Joel Yager
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
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13
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Conti J, Joyce C, Natoli S, Skeoch K, Hay P. "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. J Eat Disord 2021; 9:151. [PMID: 34772464 PMCID: PMC8588656 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-021-00496-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Conti
- School of Psychology and Translational Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, 2751, Australia.
| | - Caroline Joyce
- School of Psychology, Western Sydney University, Penrith, Australia
| | - Simone Natoli
- School of Psychology, Western Sydney University, Penrith, Australia
| | - Kelsey Skeoch
- School of Psychology, Western Sydney University, Penrith, Australia
| | - Phillipa Hay
- Chair of Mental Health, School of Medicine, Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith, Australia
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14
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Datta N, Foukal M, Erwin S, Hopkins H, Tchanturia K, Zucker N. A mixed-methods approach to conceptualizing friendships in anorexia nervosa. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254110. [PMID: 34525111 PMCID: PMC8443043 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with anorexia nervosa have reported feelings of loneliness, social anhedonia, and interpersonal difficulties. This study sought to clarify the nature of interpersonal relationships in adults with anorexia, which may help improve existing interventions while also facilitating the attainment of something that might compete with the drive for thinness: friendships. METHODS The present study used a mixed-methods approach to investigate friendship experiences in three groups: anorexia (n = 27), participants with a history of anorexia who are weight restored (n = 20), and healthy controls (n = 24). Thematic analysis was used to isolate the most prevalent themes that emerged from an open-ended interview of experiencing friendships in a subset of participants. Three self-report questionnaires investigating friendship valuation and attachment styles were also administered. RESULTS 11 unique themes emerged in the data: social comparison, reciprocity, trust, fear of negative evaluation, perceived skills deficit, logistical barriers, reliability, identity issue, low interest, similarity, and conflict avoidance. Only 17% of those with anorexia reported experiencing friendships as positive, relative to 82% of healthy controls and 52% of weight restored participants. Lastly, on self-report measures, participants with anorexia reported greater reliance on themselves versus others, greater use of care-seeking behaviors, and more fear/anger at the thought of losing an attachment figure (p < .05 in all cases). CONCLUSION Results suggest that individuals with anorexia have particular challenges which interfere with the formation and maintenance of friendships, such as viewing friendships negatively and struggling with social comparisons in friendships. Assessing and addressing barriers to intimacy may motivate those with anorexia to relinquish dangerous symptoms that maintain the illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandini Datta
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Molly Foukal
- Duke University Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Savannah Erwin
- Duke University Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Hannah Hopkins
- Duke University Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Kate Tchanturia
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Section of Eating Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, National Eating Disorders Service, Psychological Medicine Clinical Academic Group, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Nancy Zucker
- Duke University Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Durham, NC, United States of America
- Duke University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Durham, NC, United States of America
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15
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Broomfield C, Rhodes P, Touyz S. How and why does the disease progress? A qualitative investigation of the transition into long-standing anorexia nervosa. J Eat Disord 2021; 9:103. [PMID: 34404490 PMCID: PMC8371900 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-021-00458-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Despite an increased interest in understanding characteristics of long-standing anorexia nervosa (AN), there is a lack of knowledge into the processes that occur with the development and maintenance of the disease. This has impeded the development of novel treatment approaches that may prove more effective than traditional medical models of therapy. To improve the prognosis of these long-standing presentations, an understanding as to how and why the AN disease progresses is required. It was therefore the aim of the current study to investigate the transition of AN from earlier to later stages. METHOD The study adopted a narrative inquiry approach and a total of 11 women with long-standing AN participated in an interview. The newly developed photovoice method assisted in data collection with typologies of chronic illness facilitating the emergence of salient themes. RESULTS The qualitative analysis resulted in the identification of five themes: (a) transition, (b) trauma, (c) functionality, (d) identity, and (e) failure of current models of treatment. CONCLUSIONS Together with identifying key themes, the study provides insight into some possible reasons why current treatment models are failing to promote recovery. Future research examining the effectiveness of treatment that targets underlying causes and maintaining factors of the illness are suggested. Additional education for health professionals is also recommended in order to reduce the trauma that is currently being experienced by some patients with a long-standing illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Broomfield
- School of Psychology, Griffith Taylor Building, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
| | - Paul Rhodes
- School of Psychology, Griffith Taylor Building, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Stephen Touyz
- InsideOut Institute, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
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16
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Broomfield C, Stedal K, Touyz S. The Neuropsychological Profile of Severe and Enduring Anorexia Nervosa: A Systematic Review. Front Psychol 2021; 12:708536. [PMID: 34408714 PMCID: PMC8365190 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.708536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Characteristics of Severe and Enduring Anorexia Nervosa (SE-AN) are being investigated to differentiate the patients experiencing SE-AN from those at earlier stages of the AN disease. The current systematic review was the first step in exploring neuropsychological functioning as a potentially identifying characteristic for long-term presentations. With a subgroup of AN patients reflecting a unique neuropsychological profile that is proportionate to the quantity of patients that go on to develop SE-AN, it was the aim of this review to assess neuropsychological functioning in the later stage of the disease. In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, a literature search was conducted using four electronic databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus) for neuropsychological research on AN participants with a seven or more year illness duration. Datasets that met inclusion criteria were screened for SE-AN participants (N = 166) and neuropsychological data extracted together with potentially confounding variables and information required to conduct a quality assessment. In research investigating decision-making, participants with a SE-AN presentation demonstrated significantly lower functioning compared to healthy controls. There was conflicting evidence for differences in intellectual functioning and set-shifting abilities with no variability indicated in central coherence, memory, attention, reasoning, or processing speed. If findings from this preliminary analysis are confirmed through empirical research, implications include earlier identification of SE-AN patients and more effective treatment development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kristin Stedal
- Regional Department for Eating Disorders, Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål, Norway
| | - Stephen Touyz
- Inside Out Institute, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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17
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Eielsen HP, Vrabel K, Hoffart A, Rø Ø, Rosenvinge JH. The 17-year outcome of 62 adult patients with longstanding eating disorders-A prospective study. Int J Eat Disord 2021; 54:841-850. [PMID: 33660895 DOI: 10.1002/eat.23495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although studies with short and intermediate observation time suggest favorable outcomes in regard to eating disorders (ED), there is limited knowledge on long-term outcomes. The present study aimed to investigate the 5- and 17-year outcome of adult patients with longstanding ED who were previously admitted to an inpatient ED unit. ED diagnoses and recovery, comorbid and general psychopathology, along with psychosocial functioning and quality of life were evaluated. METHOD Sixty-two of the 80 living patients (78% response rate) with anorexia nervosa (n = 23), bulimia nervosa (n = 25), or other specified feeding or eating disorders (n = 14) at admission were evaluated. The mean age at the 17-year follow-up point was 46.2 (SD 7.5). The Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) was used to assess recovery. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) and self-report instruments provided additional information. RESULTS There was a significant reduction in patients fulfilling criteria for an ED from the 5-year to the 17-year follow-up, meanwhile recovery rates were stable. A total of 29% of the patients were fully recovered and 21% were partially recovered while the remaining 50% had not recovered. No significant changes were found in any self-report measures and more than 70% had a comorbid disorder at both assessments. DISCUSSION The findings illustrate the protracted nature of ED for adults with longstanding ED. A long illness duration prior to treatment is unfortunate and early detection and treatment is advisable.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - KariAnne Vrabel
- Research Institute, Modum Bad Psychiatric Centre, Vikersund, Norway.,Institute of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Asle Hoffart
- Research Institute, Modum Bad Psychiatric Centre, Vikersund, Norway.,Institute of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Øyvind Rø
- Regional Department for Eating Disorders, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Institute of Clinical Medicine, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jan H Rosenvinge
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø-the Artic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
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18
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Walker DC, Heiss S, Donahue JM, Brooks JM. Practitioners' perspectives on ethical issues within the treatment of eating disorders: Results from a concept mapping study. Int J Eat Disord 2020; 53:1941-1951. [PMID: 32918314 DOI: 10.1002/eat.23381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Treating patients with eating disorders (EDs) is associated with an array of ethical concerns, including balancing patients' health and autonomy, access to care, and use of harm-reduction versus recovery-oriented treatment models. The primary aim of the current study is to gain a better understanding of ethical issues faced by ED practitioners by using a concept mapping, or Q-sort, approach. METHOD A total of 12 practitioners completed the brainstorming phase and generated statements regarding ethical issues they faced while treating patients with EDs. A subsequent 38 practitioners completed a sorting task, where they created and labeled piles, into which they grouped each statement. Of those 38 participants, 30 rated both the frequency with which they encountered each ethical issue and its impact on patient care. RESULTS A total of six clusters emerged: Insufficient Level of Care, Lack of Evidence-Based Practice, Insurance Barriers, Family Involvement, Patient Autonomy, and Limited Access to Expertise. Lack of Evidence-Based Practice, Insurance Barriers, and Insufficient Level of Care was the most frequent problem faced by ED practitioners, whereas Insurance Barriers and Patient Autonomy had the greatest impact. DISCUSSION Findings outline frequent and impactful areas of ethical concern that arise when treating patients diagnosed with EDs. Practitioners most commonly reported that patient- and insurance-driven factors limited patient access to appropriate care. Regulations supporting the provision of evidence-based care should be emphasized in public health policy and advocacy efforts, given their impact in limiting the delivery of adequate patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sydney Heiss
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Joseph M Donahue
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Julia M Brooks
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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19
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Clausen L. Perspectives on Involuntary Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:533288. [PMID: 33192651 PMCID: PMC7641604 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.533288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Involuntary treatment of anorexia nervosa is an option in cases in which the patient's life or other people's lives are at risk or, in some countries, to prevent the deterioration of the illness. Involuntary treatment is often regarded as controversial and has been intensely debated, although typically with few references to documented knowledge. This paper provides a research perspective of the topic by examine data in the field of the involuntary treatment of anorexia nervosa to pinpoint present knowledge as well as areas demanding clinical action or research attention. The prevalence of involuntary treatment in general as well as specific measures is described and possible early markers of patients at risk of involuntary treatment are discussed. Studies including patients' perspectives of involuntary treatment show the complexity of this treatment, its initiation, and its consequences. To qualify future discussions, improve current practice, and minimize involuntary treatment in general as well as on an individual level, at least four areas need attention: (i) the present specific symptoms of anorexia nervosa and their imminent consequences, (ii) illness history, (iii) overall psychiatric symptoms and general functioning, and (iv) contextual sphere of the patient. In particular, the last two require attention from both clinicians and researchers. Furthermore, critical evaluation of the attitudes of both patients and health care professionals toward each other and the treatment is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loa Clausen
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Aarhus University Hospital Psychiatry, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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20
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Scolnick B, Zupec-Kania B, Calabrese L, Aoki C, Hildebrandt T. Remission from Chronic Anorexia Nervosa With Ketogenic Diet and Ketamine: Case Report. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:763. [PMID: 32848935 PMCID: PMC7412264 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic anorexia nervosa is a tragic disease with no known effective pharmacological or behavioral treatment. We report the case of a 29 year-old woman who struggled with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa for 15 years, and experienced a complete recovery following a novel treatment of adopting a ketogenic diet followed by ketamine infusions. Her remission has persisted for over 6 months. CASE PRESENTATION At age 14.5, the patient embarked on an effort to "eat healthy." She quickly lost control of the dieting, developed associated compulsions and obsessions about food, body dissatisfaction, emotional lability, and lost nearly 13.6 kilograms (30 pounds). She was hospitalized for 6 weeks, and while she regained some weight, she did not attain full weight restoration. For 15 years, she continued to eat in a restrictive manner, exercise compulsively, and have intermittent periods of alcohol dependence. Nevertheless, she always hoped to get well, and at age 29, she began a novel treatment for anorexia nervosa. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report of a ketogenic diet used specifically for the treatment of anorexia nervosa, followed by a short series of titrated IV ketamine infusions leading to complete remission of severe and enduring anorexia nervosa, with weight restoration, and sustained cessation of cognitive and behavioral symptoms, for 6 months. Although these treatments were used sequentially the relationship between these modalities, and possible synergy, is unclear, and deserves further study. Complete and sustained remission of chronic anorexia nervosa is quite rare, and the novel use of a ketogenic diet and IV ketamine treatment in this potentially lethal condition suggests avenues for further research, and hope for patients and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Scolnick
- Internal Medicine & Addiction Medicine, Waban, MA, United States
| | - Beth Zupec-Kania
- Consultant-Ketogenic Diet Therapy LLC, Elm Grove, WI, United States
| | | | - Chiye Aoki
- Center for Neural Sciences, New York University, New York, NY, United States.,The Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Thomas Hildebrandt
- Center of Excellence in Eating and Weight Disorders, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
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21
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Musolino CM, Warin M, Gilchrist P. Embodiment as a Paradigm for Understanding and Treating SE-AN: Locating the Self in Culture. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:534. [PMID: 32595537 PMCID: PMC7304294 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
There has been a growing call for sociologically engaged research to better understand the complex processes underpinning Severe and Enduring Anorexia Nervosa (SE-AN). Based on a qualitative study with women in Adelaide, South Australia who were reluctant to seek help for their disordered eating practices, this paper draws on anthropological concepts of embodiment to examine how SE-AN is experienced as culturally grounded. We argue that experiences of SE-AN are culturally informed, and in turn, inform bodily perception and practice in the world. Over time, everyday rituals and routines became part of participants' habitus', experienced as taken-for-granted practices that structured life-worlds. Here, culture and self are not separate, but intimately entangled in and through embodiment. Approaching SE-AN through a paradigm of embodiment has important implications for therapeutic models that attempt to move anorexia nervosa away from the body and separate it from the self in order to achieve recovery. Separating experiences-literally disembodying anorexia nervosa-was described by participants as more than the loss of an identity; it would dismantle their sense of being-in-the-world. Understanding how SE-AN is itself a structure that structures every aspect of daily life, helps us to understand the fear of living differently, and the safety that embodied routines bring. We conclude by asking what therapeutic treatment might look like if we took embodiment as one orientation to SE-AN, and focused on quality of life and harm minimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connie Marguerite Musolino
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Southgate Institute for Health, Society and Equity, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Megan Warin
- Faculty of Arts, School of Social Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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22
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Joyce C, Greasley P, Weatherhead S, Seal K. Beyond the Revolving Door: Long-Term Lived Experience of Eating Disorders and Specialist Service Provision. QUALITATIVE HEALTH RESEARCH 2019; 29:2070-2083. [PMID: 31165677 DOI: 10.1177/1049732319850772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we undertook a narrative analysis of participants' long-term lived experience of eating disorders and specialist service provision. Eight participants were recruited with service experience across five National Health Service (NHS) Trusts in the United Kingdom. All participants had a minimum of 10 years self-reported experience living with an eating disorder. The data are presented across different temporal stages that demonstrate the development of participants' self-construct in relation to their first contact with specialist services, what had happened in their lives for this to become necessary, and their current relationships with services, before exploring what participants need from services to help them feel heard going forward. Findings suggest that current methods of service delivery result in delayed and inappropriate supports and a consequent "battling" against professionals, which can provide an obstacle to compassionate and collaborative working and promote "revolving door" experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciara Joyce
- Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
- Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | | | - Karen Seal
- Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust, Preston, United Kingdom
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23
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Marco JH, Cañabate M, Pérez S. Meaning in life is associated with the psychopathology of eating disorders: differences depending on the diagnosis. Eat Disord 2019; 27:550-564. [PMID: 30663525 DOI: 10.1080/10640266.2018.1560852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies indicated that meaning in life was inversely associated with eating behaviors and a negative attitude toward food, body satisfaction, and borderline symptoms. However, research on the association between meaning in life and eating disorder psychopathology is scarce, and there are no studies on the association between meaning in life and the eating disorder psychopathology depending on the diagnosis. The aim of the present study is to verify whether meaning in life is differentially associated with a broad range of psychopathology symptoms commonly observed in people with ED, depending on the diagnosis, in a sample of 240 ED patients. We found that meaning in life was negatively associated with eating behaviors and a negative attitude toward food, body satisfaction, borderline symptoms, and hopelessness in all types of eating disorders, regardless of the specific diagnosis. Moreover, the association with meaning in life was different depending on the type of eating disorders. Specifically in the participants with Anorexia Nervosa Restrictive, meaning in life had a higher percentage of explained variance in the eating disorders psychopathology (between 30% and 65%). Therefore, these results seem to indicate that, although meaning in life is an important variable in all the eating disorders subtypes, it is especially relevant in participants with the Anorexia Nervosa Restrictive subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- José H Marco
- Departamento de Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamientos Psicológicos, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, España
| | - Montserrat Cañabate
- Escuela de doctorado, San Vicente Mártir, España, Facultad de Psicología, Magisterio y Ciencias de la Educación, Universidad Católica de Valencia, Universidad Católica de Valencia "San Vicente Mártir", Valencia, España
| | - Sandra Pérez
- Universidad Católica de Valencia "San Vicente Mártir", España. Facultad de Psicología, Magisterio y Ciencias de la Educación, Universidad Católica de Valencia "San Vicente Mártir", Valencia, España
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24
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Vrabel KR, Wampold B, Quintana DS, Goss K, Waller G, Hoffart A. The Modum-ED Trial Protocol: Comparing Compassion-Focused Therapy and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Treatment of Eating Disorders With and Without Childhood Trauma: Protocol of a Randomized Trial. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1638. [PMID: 31379673 PMCID: PMC6657670 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The combination of eating disorder (ED) and the experience of childhood trauma leads to significant impairment and suffering. To improve treatment, it is critically important to study treatment effects, and the mechanism of these effects. The overall aim of the current project is to; (1) build knowledge on how to best treat patients with ED with and without childhood trauma, (2) develop our understanding about how change happens for these patients. We will do this by comparing two treatment models in an inpatient setting; Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for ED. This paper describes the development, design and implementation of the trial. Methods and Design: Patients included in this randomized controlled trial will satisfy DSM-5 criteria for ED and approximately half of the patients will in addition have a history of childhood trauma. A total of 144 patients who have received either CFT or CBT are followed up 1 year after completion of the treatment. The study will collect a rich dataset of outcome measures at four time points, and process and sub-outcome measures at 13 time points. All patients will be assessed with the same clinical instruments based on current state-of-the-art methods. The primary outcome will be change in the severity of ED features as measured by the global ED examination score, and having a global ED examination score less than one standard deviation above the community mean, while secondary outcomes will relate to treatment effects on trauma symptoms, general symptoms, and quality of life. Discussion: This trial will make an important contribution to the need for evidence of effective treatment for patients with ED with or without childhood trauma. Ethics and Dissemination: The project is approved by the South-Eastern Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics of Norway (REC;2014/836). Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, http://www.Clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02649114.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bruce Wampold
- Research Institute of Modum Bad, Vikersund, Norway
- Department of Counseling Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Daniel S Quintana
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ken Goss
- Coventry Eating Disorder Service, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Glenn Waller
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Asle Hoffart
- Research Institute of Modum Bad, Vikersund, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW We review the evidence for the reported increase in disordered eating and body image disturbance occurring in women in middle age and later life. We describe the contributing factors that relate to the unique experience of eating disorders (EDs) at midlife and beyond. We review evidence for several key factors in this observation, specifically the bio-psycho-social and relational components of later life EDs. We present treatment considerations, screening tools for evaluation, and treatment recommendations for this special population suffering with EDs. RECENT FINDINGS Eating disorder symptoms and body image preoccupation have been identified in increasing numbers of women over age 50. Reports indicate that women are seeking treatment for chronic, recurrent, or late onset EDs. However, health care providers generally have not screened for these conditions, and often pursue other medical diagnoses. Age does not immunize women from body image preoccupation, weight and shape concerns, disordered eating, and eating disorders.
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Rungta N, Kudpi R. Evaluation of Eating Disorders Using “SCOFF Questionnaire” Among Young Female Cohorts and Its Dental Implications − An Exploratory Study. JOURNAL OF OROFACIAL SCIENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.4103/jofs.jofs_145_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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27
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Essentials for Best Practice: Treatment Approaches for Athletes With Eating Disorders. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL SPORT PSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1123/jcsp.2018-0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Eating disorders (EDs) and disordered-eating behaviors (DEBs), pose a high risk of morbidity and mortality, threatening physical health, emotional health, and overall quality of life. Unfortunately, among athletes, prevalence rates continue to increase. This document summarizes the challenges of establishing and navigating the multidisciplinary care needed to effectively treat EDs and DEBs among athletes. The benefits of timely and frequent communication within the multidisciplinary treatment team (MDTT) are emphasized and discussed. Authors advise who should be selected as members of the MDTT and suggest that all personnel, including athletic coaches, athletic trainers, physical therapists, and certified fitness professionals be ED-informed and ED-sensitive. Vital components of care are noted including use of a variety of evidence-based psychotherapeutic modalities, interventions which target emotional regulation, and prioritize values based compassionate care. Authors caution that performance decrements and medical/physiological changes are not always easily observable in individuals with EDs and DEBs and therefore, attuned, consistent, and ongoing monitoring is needed. Consensus regarding previously established parameters for return to play and careful titration of physical activity throughout the ED recovery process are suggested as important for preserving health, preventing re-injury, or relapse and facilitating successful return to sport participation.
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28
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Statement of removal. Health Care Women Int 2018; 39:1316. [DOI: 10.1080/07399332.2018.1443108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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29
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Malecki J, Rhodes P, Ussher J. Childhood trauma and anorexia nervosa: from body image to embodiment. Health Care Women Int 2018; 39:936-951. [PMID: 30152723 DOI: 10.1080/07399332.2018.1492268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Contemporary understandings of anorexia nervosa are framed by the body-image paradigm. The body-image framework considers that women's bodily experiences are reflected through distorted mental images of their bodies or disordered thinking and behavior around food and eating. Body image has come to symbolize all that can go wrong with women's relationships with their bodies, food, and eating. The problem with this approach is its failure to consider the experience of women who have survived childhood abuse. Women's bodily disturbances are not easily discernible through objective measures because they lie within the inner subjective realm of the embodied 'self' and embodied emotional experience. Consideration of the different ways that women inhabit their bodies informs this paper's examination of the conceptual framework of embodiment as an alternative to the body-image paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Malecki
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Paul Rhodes
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jane Ussher
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
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30
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Musolino C, Warin M, Gilchrist P. Positioning relapse and recovery through a cultural lens of desire: A South Australian case study of disordered eating. Transcult Psychiatry 2018; 55:534-550. [PMID: 29848200 DOI: 10.1177/1363461518778669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
This article explores how desire operates in the daily lives of women with disordered eating. Based on qualitative findings from a South Australian study investigating why women with disordered eating are reluctant to seek help, we trace the multiple "tipping points" and triggers that are central to participants' everyday experiences. Employing anthropological interpretations of desire, we argue that triggers are circulations of productive desire, informed by cultural values and social relations, and embodied in routine daily acts. We examine the cultural-work of desire and the ways in which gendered relationships with food, eating and bodies trigger desires, creating a constant back and forth movement propelling participants in multiple directions. In conclusion, we suggest that a socio-cultural approach to desire in disordered eating has clinical implications, as cultural configurations of desire may help to understand ambivalence towards relapse and recovery.
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31
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Abstract
In the last three decades, anthropological analyses of eating disorders have peeled away layers of 'common sense' to reveal tacit and often contradictory forces that inhere in people's bodies, practices, and lives. From investigations of institutional practices to analyses of embodied experiences, anthropologists have developed insightful accounts of how local, shared worlds shape disordered eating, and of the grounding of disorder in social structures and relationships that tend to be obscured in clinical and popular interpretations. In this introductory essay, we offer a brief review of anthropological work on eating disorders, with particular emphasis on studies published in the last decade. Attending to person, structure, and bodily being-in-the-world, these anthropological studies reveal multiple cultural logics within which disordered eating practices are embedded. The deciphering of cultural logics forms the basis for this special issue, whose constituent papers interrogate recurring and ongoing eating disorders, with analyses that focus on relapse, ambivalence toward treatment, and the persistence of disordered eating practices. In their shared focus on long-term eating disorders, the papers offer anthropological responses to clinical questions about the low rates of treatment success. As such, the special issue conveys the potential for new productive collaborations between anthropology, policy, and clinical research and practice for the prevention of and effective intervention in eating disorders.
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Abstract
Higher levels of care (HLC)-including inpatient hospitalization, residential treatment, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient treatment-are frequently utilized within routine care for eating disorders. Despite widespread use, there is limited research evaluating the efficacy of HLC, as well as clinical issues related to care in these settings. This review describes the different levels of care for eating disorders and briefly reviews the most up-to-date guidelines and research regarding how to choose a level of care. In addition, as HLC approaches for ED continue to be developed and refined, pragmatic and conceptual challenges have emerged that provide barriers to clinical efficacy and the execution of high-quality treatment research. This review includes a discussion of various issues specific to HLC, as well as a summary of recent literature addressing them.
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Broomfield C, Stedal K, Touyz S, Rhodes P. Labeling and defining severe and enduring anorexia nervosa: A systematic review and critical analysis. Int J Eat Disord 2017; 50:611-623. [PMID: 28444828 DOI: 10.1002/eat.22715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Revised: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE With anorexia nervosa (AN) having various presentations, attention has been directed towards particularly durable forms of the condition in both research and clinical contexts. A major hindrance in terms of advancing the field is the inconsistent labeling and defining of this subgroup. This has two implications; first, the inconsistent recruitment of participants when researching this sample, and second, the misdiagnosing of patients who may or may not have a durable course of the disease. The current research had the purpose of providing an overview of the current labels and criteria used for defining cases of severe and enduring AN, and critically analysing the implications of these findings. METHOD In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, a literature search was conducted using four electronic databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Web of Science and Scopus) in order to identify 32 records that met the standards stipulated by the criteria. Data extraction included explicit labeling, the definition or criteria used to describe the subgroup, along with participant age and study design. RESULTS It was found that the terms chronic and severe and enduring were the most commonly used adjectives when referring to this subgroup. In terms of criteria, illness duration and the number of previously failed treatment attempts were the most common defining features within the literature. DISCUSSION It is the aim of the authors to inspire further research into what is the most appropriate label and defining features for the subgroup in order to facilitate a better approach and outcome for the individuals affected.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kristin Stedal
- Regional Department for Eating Disorders, Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål
| | - Stephen Touyz
- Department of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Paul Rhodes
- Department of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Quality of life as a vulnerability and recovery factor in eating disorders: a community-based study. BMC Psychiatry 2016; 16:328. [PMID: 27724943 PMCID: PMC5057465 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-016-1033-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emerging evidence suggests that changes in quality of life (QoL) predicts later changes in eating disorder (ED) symptoms. The objective of this study was to explore individual sufferers' perspectives on the influence of QoL on the onset, maintenance, and/or remission of ED symptoms. METHOD 19 women from the community with a history of eating disorders (n = 13 currently symptomatic; n = 6 recovered) were interviewed about their observations on the relationship between QoL and ED symptoms over time in their own lives. Interviews were audio-taped and transcribed, and then thematically analysed. RESULTS Thematic analysis uncovered two major themes: 1. QoL as a Vulnerability Factor, and 2. QoL as a Recovery Factor. In relation to the first theme, onset of ED symptoms was discussed by women in this study as having been triggered by impairment in QoL, including a general sense of lacking control in life, stress, abusive intimate relationships, poor role modelling from family, physical impairment related to obesity, peer pressure, and weight-related teasing. On the other hand, and in relation to the second theme, subsequent improvement in QoL was nominated as central to symptom improvement and recovery. QoL improvement was described by participants differently, but included increased general satisfaction in life, emotional maturation, prioritising and improving physical health, the development of a supportive intimate relationship and social relationships, and having children. CONCLUSIONS Impairment in QoL may act as a trigger for the onset and maintenance of ED symptoms, whereas improvement in QoL may be central to eating disorder improvement and eventual recovery. Treatment should involve consideration of a core focus on QoL improvement as a potential 'backdoor' approach to improving ED symptoms.
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Trachsel M, Irwin SA, Biller-Andorno N, Hoff P, Riese F. Palliative psychiatry for severe persistent mental illness as a new approach to psychiatry? Definition, scope, benefits, and risks. BMC Psychiatry 2016; 16:260. [PMID: 27450328 PMCID: PMC4957930 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-016-0970-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND As a significant proportion of patients receiving palliative care suffer from states of anxiety, depression, delirium, or other mental symptoms, psychiatry and palliative care already collaborate closely in the palliative care of medical conditions. Despite this well-established involvement of psychiatrists in palliative care, psychiatry does not currently explicitly provide palliative care for patients with mental illness outside the context of terminal medical illness. DISCUSSION Based on the WHO definition of palliative care, a, a working definition of palliative psychiatry is proposed. Palliative psychiatry focuses on mental health rather than medical/physical issues. We propose that the beneficiaries of palliative psychiatry are patients with severe persistent mental illness, who are at risk of therapeutic neglect and/or overly aggressive care within current paradigms. These include long-term residential care patients with severe chronic schizophrenia and insufficient quality of life, those with therapy-refractory depressions and repeated suicide attempts, and those with severe long-standing therapy-refractory anorexia nervosa. An explicitly palliative approach within psychiatry has the potential to improve quality of care, person-centredness, outcomes, and autonomy for patients with severe persistent mental illness. CONCLUSIONS The first step towards a palliative psychiatry is to acknowledge those palliative approaches that already exist implicitly in psychiatry. Basic skills for a palliative psychiatry include communication of diagnosis and prognosis, symptom assessment and management, support for advance (mental health) care planning, assessment of caregiver needs, and referral to specialized services. Some of these may already be considered core skills of psychiatrists, but for a truly palliative approach they should be exercised guided by an awareness of the limited functional prognosis and lifespan of patients with severe persistent mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Trachsel
- Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 30, CH-8006, Zurich, Switzerland. .,Department of Psychiatry, Cedars-Sinai Health System, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Scott A. Irwin
- Supportive Care Services, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Health System, Los Angeles, CA USA ,Department of Psychiatry, Cedars-Sinai Health System, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Nikola Biller-Andorno
- Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 30, CH-8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Paul Hoff
- Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Florian Riese
- Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland ,URPP “Dynamics of Healthy Aging”, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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36
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Conti J, Rhodes P, Adams H. Listening in the dark: why we need stories of people living with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa. J Eat Disord 2016; 4:33. [PMID: 27895913 PMCID: PMC5116854 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-016-0117-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A bold step forward in our approach to Severe and Enduring Anorexia Nervosa invites new paradigms for research and practice. It provides an opportunity for us to explore fault lines, both in our communities of practice and the social structures that inform them. This paper serves to question the medical metaphors on which treatment has been based, in favour of alternative perspectives that resonate more clearly with the lived experience of those for whom it has failed. We invite the consideration of alternative metaphors, which can disrupt the notion of heroic patients (and therapists), mediate against acts of self-silencing and sensitising us to more radical acts of listening. Beyond the randomised trials and manuals it is time for us to listen to the realities of suffering, the minutiae of resistance and the life that can still be lived.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Conti
- School of Psychology, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Paul Rhodes
- Clinical Psychology Unit, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Heather Adams
- Trauma and Change Research Group, Fort Wayne, IL USA
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