Anorexia Nervosa in Adolescence and Maudsley Family‐Based Treatment

Abstract

Anorexia nervosa is a serious psychiatric disorder that usually occurs in adolescence. The course of the illness can be protracted. Current empirical evidence suggests that the Maudsley Family‐Based Treatment (MFBT) is efficacious for adolescents. MFBT empowers parents as a crucial treatment resource to assist in their child's recovery. The authors review the diagnostic criteria and course of anorexia in adolescence, present empirical evidence and key theoretical concepts of MFBT, and provide a case study.

Augmentative Approaches in Family‐Based Treatment for Adolescents with Restrictive Eating Disorders: A Systematic Review

“…Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterised by peak onset in adolescence, with the highest mortality rate (~20%) among the psychiatric disorders and 20–30% of patients expected to suffer a persistent and enduring illness (Franko et al, ; Hurst, Read, & Wallis, ; Steinhausen, ). As the risk of poorer treatment response increases with illness duration, it is crucial that outcomes are optimised for young people with AN as early as possible (Treasure & Russell, ).…”

Family and Systems Theory in Counselor Education: A PRISMA Systematic Review

“…Implementation as a primary theme encompasses articles that recommend adjustments to existing practices within counselor education and professional counseling practice based on alignment with family and systems theory literature. These include recommendations like adjusting treatment (Copley & Carney, 2020; Hurst et al, 2012; Miller & Dillman, 2016), pedagogy (Amatea et al, 2013; Sommer et al, 2011), research practices (Copley & Carney, 2020; Hanna, 2011; Hooper & Britnell, 2012; Hurst et al, 2012; Marquis et al, 2011; Miller & Dillman, 2016; Sommer et al, 2011), assessment approaches (Gold, 2017; 2021; Hooper et al, 2020; Juhnke et al, 2013; Nagy et al, 2021; Neukrug et al, 2013; Peterson et al, 2014; Sanches-Nunez et al, 2013) and institutional or policy change (Hanna, 2011; Hooper & Britnell, 2012; Marquis et al, 2011). Articles with this designation heuristic were further identified by two secondary themes: Research and assessment.…”

“…Research as a secondary theme of Implementation helps to highlight the various implications of family and systems theory in research. Articles included in this secondary theme include incorporating neuroscience into family and systems theory research (Miller & Dillman, 2016), recommendations for trauma-informed approaches (Copley & Carney, 2020), issues with integration (Hanna, 2011; Marquis et al, 2011), diagnosis-specific treatment approaches (Hurst et al, 2012), conducting research in schools (Hooper & Britnell, 2012), pedagogical adjustment in counselor education (Haber et al, 2021; Harrawood et al, 2011; Paylo, 2011; Sommer et al, 2011; Tadros, 2020), and reconceptualizing family and systems theory in family change issues and treatment (Graham et al, 2013; Kolbert et al, 2013; Koltz & Koltz, 2019; Lloyd-Hazlett et al, 2016; Mana & Naveh, 2018; Nims & Duba, 2011; Pereira, 2014; Phipps & Vorster, 2015; Rajaei & Jensen, 2020; Sung et al, 2018; Weir et al, 2021).…”

“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

“…The importance of addressing an adolescents’ psychological distress has been increasingly recognized over the past decade with a number of FBT treatment augmentations being proposed and researched. These have included multi-family therapy [ 58 , 59 ], parent-to-parent consultations [ 60 ], separated-family therapy [ 61 ], addition of psychological interventions such as CBT [ 62 ] and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) [ 63 ] and therapist guided internet chat rooms [ 64 ]. These augmentations have tended to focus on changing the context of treatment, providing additional or novel means of support in addition to treatment as usual, particularly for parents [ 65 ], rather than augmentation to the structure and/or transformation of content of the treatment intervention itself.…”