Purpose-The present prospectively designed 15-year longitudinal research was conducted to study whether locus of control is linked to diagnosis, to major symptoms, to functioning and recovery, and to personality for schizophrenia patients, depressive patients, and patients with other major disorders.Procedure-The research studied 128 patients from the Chicago Follow-up Study at the acute phase and reassessed them 5 times over a 15-year period. Patients were evaluated on locus of control, global outcome, recovery, premorbid developmental achievements, psychosis, diagnosis, depression, and personality variables.Results-1.) After the acute phase, schizophrenia patients were not more external than other diagnostic groups. 2.) Internality is associated with increased recovery in schizophrenia (p<.05). 3.) A more external locus of control was related to depression (p=.01). 4.) The relationship between externality and psychosis was significant (p<.05).Conclusions-In severe psychiatric disorders a more external locus of control is not specific to schizophrenia and after the acute phase is not associated with one particular diagnostic group. A more external locus of control is related to fewer periods of recovery, to both depressed mood and psychosis, and to various aspects of personality (p<.05).

This paper examines the areas of psychological and physiological concern when working with patients who have eating disorders as they move through the postpartum period. These concerns include infant feeding, maternal-child bonding, and postpartum adjustment. The combination of psychological stressors of new motherhood and body image concerns intensified by the residual bodily changes of pregnancy may predispose women to have an exacerbation in eating disordered symptoms as well as the development of postpartum mood disorders. Depression can lead mothers to be nonresponsive, inconsistent, or rejecting of the infant, placing the mother-baby attachment at risk. The added existence of an eating disorder compounds these risks, with medical and psychological risks becoming increasingly apparent. Healthcare providers (e.g., primary care physician, obstetric provider) are more likely to have contact with women during the postpartum period, making such providers instrumental in the screening and referral process. A multidisciplinary approach is recommended for treating eating disorders and related conditions. Unfortunately, there is little information about the efficacy and appropriateness of standard eating disorder treatments for women in the postpartum period. In addition to reviewing the literature, guidance is offered on how to assess and treat patients with eating disorders in general as well as considerations specific to the postpartum period.

Although family-based therapy (FBT) is a well-established treatment for anorexia nervosa, its implementation and effectiveness in clinical settings has been neglected. A group of seven therapists at a community-based eating disorders clinic were trained in skills-enhanced FBT and provided treatment to 11 youth with anorexia nervosa. Family-based skills training, which borrowed heavily from dialectical behavior therapy, was introduced in four additional sessions and then integrated throughout the remainder of FBT. FBT was perceived as appropriate and acceptable by all participants. Therapists reported high treatment fidelity. There was a large improvement in weight and moderate improvement in caregiver-reported eating disorder psychopathology but no clinically significant change by youth report. This study provides preliminary data on the implementation and effectiveness of FBT in the community.