The aim of this study was to explore obese adults' accounts of their experiences and feelings during their attempts to lose weight and to maintain a reduced weight. Qualitative research methods were used, based on interviews with individuals and groups. Eighteen obese men and women were recruited from the general public, with BMIs ranging from 30 to 50. All participants had attempted weight loss treatment, but without lasting success. Participants were unanimous in saying they needed help. Results suggest that counselling could play a greater role in the treatment of obesity.
Eating disorders of all kinds are common and serious in adolescents and young women. Recent government policies have suggested that adolescent mental health strategies should be developed. They have also laid emphasis on early intervention, accessible local provision and have identi ed eating disorders as a priority. It is acknowledged that services at primary care level for adolescents with eating disorders are sporadic or nonexistent. It was considered that a service user perspective would be bene cial in contributing to assessing the needs of adolescents with eating disorders. The research project was established to identify the service provision used, if any, by adolescent sufferers of eating disorders and what, in their opinion, would have been desirable at that time. The research consisted of a semi-structured interview with a sample of recovered adult participants to establish their experiences of services they had received as adolescents. Additionally the participants were asked what further help they felt would have been bene cial and where that help would have been usefully situated. The main ndings suggest that the majority of health professionals are ill informed and not acutely conscious of the needs of eating disordered adolescents. Only counsellors within the voluntary sector agency showed any real understanding and an ability to help constructively. It was concluded that there is a real lack of help at primary care level and that schools should play a wider role in educating adolescents in a positive belief in themselves and in the destructive nature of an eating disorder.
RationaleEating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder are amongst the most common mental health problems of our time. They affect large numbers of persons and, in particular, target adolescent and young adult women (Hill and Pomeroy, 2001). Although prevalence gures for the full syndrome in that population are thought to be about 1% for anorexia and 3% for bulimia, more recent conceptualisation of terms of diagnosis in the context of a continuum of 'disordered eating' reveals a prevalence as high as 13% (Piran, 1999;Shisslak et al., 1995). In
Commercial slimming organizations should engage with broader psychological and behavioural features of obesity, including bingeing and eating-related cognitive patterns.
Original article can be found at: http://www.informaworld.com Copyright Informa / Taylor and Francis Group. [Full text of this article is not available in the UHRA]This article offers a brief definition of self-concept and explores the difficulties of finding an instrument to measure the selfconcept of young people who have complex needs. The article focuses on the use of the Piers-Harris 2 instrument, exploring its strengths and weaknesses for this client group
Survey research is demonstrating that binge eating and compulsive eating may be a significant problem in the obese population. There is higher incidence of binge eating among women, associated with subjective distress and poor prognosis for weight control. Despite attendant health risks, researched clinical responses have not been developed. A before and after uncontrolled pilot study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of group therapy for women who binge eat and compulsively eat. Participants attended a weekly integrative therapy group for 6 months. Measurements before and after the group intervention were taken using the Binge Eating Scale and Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation inventories. Before and after interviews were thematically analysed for changes in eating behaviour. Following the group intervention, all participants demonstrated changes in eating behaviour measured by the Binge Eating Scale, the overall effect from baseline to 1 year demonstrates statistical significance. Qualitative data revealed four categories that underpinned reduction in binge eating: changes in dichotomous thinking, awareness of eating behaviour, detachment from food and dietary changes. An integrative model of group therapy warrants further research and refinement for this population, a group protocol for nurses working in the field of obesity and eating disorders could be developed.
We report the findings of a case study exploring the views of the student, teacher, teaching assistant and counsellor who participated in a project to evaluate counselling with young people who attend a school for children with complex needs in the UK. The student was offered twenty six weeks of humanistic counselling. The student, teacher and teaching assistant were interviewed pre and post counselling using a semi structured format. They were asked about the student's development in the seven areas of self concept which are named in the quantitative scale Piers Harris 2, which was used elsewhere in the project. Data was also gathered from the notes and transcripts of the counselling sessions. The case study describes an approach to the use of language and the counselling process with a student with complex needs. Staff were not able to report any significant changes in the student, yet the student reported a change in herself and an awareness of the process in the counselling relationship and the counsellor identified improvements in communication, self awareness and self confidence.
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