Characteristics of Middle-Aged Women in Inpatient Treatment for Eating Disorders

Abstract

The current study examined descriptive characteristics of women 35 years and older seeking inpatient treatment for an eating disorder. A second purpose was to compare characteristics and treatment experiences of midlife patients to young adult patients. Participants were 193 women admitted for treatment to a residential eating disorders facility. All of the women received the standard inpatient treatment package offered by the treatment facility. Participants completed measures of eating attitudes, depression, anxiety, body image, and media influence at admission and discharge and a program assessment measure at discharge. Results revealed comparable scores on measures of eating attitudes, anxiety, and depression at admission, although younger patients scored significantly higher on measures of body image and media influence at admission. With regard to treatment experience, midlife patients experienced greater change with regard to depression and body image dissatisfaction and described family therapy and grief and loss group therapy as being significantly more helpful than young adult patients. There appears to be a number of similarities across age cohorts in terms of clinical presentation, but underlying causal factors may differ between age groups. In general, midlife patients and young patients describe the standard treatment package as equally helpful, although midlife patients might also benefit from groups addressing grief and loss.

Factors associated with body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in women in midlife

“…Hay et al 14 found that regular episodes of binging, purging and strict dieting or fasting were reported by 18.5, 21.2, and 17.1% respectively in men and women aged 35-44 years, and by 17.4, 28.6, and 21.4% respectively in men and women aged 45-54 years. In addition, diagnoses of eating disorders with onset in midlife are being reported, 15,16 with some research showing a higher prevalence of binge eating disorder in women in midlife (8.5%) compared with early adulthood (3.3%). 17 Although body dissatisfaction and disordered eating occur frequently in women in midlife, little is known about variables associated with these attitudes and behaviors.…”

Deconstructing the Mirror's Refection: Narrative Therapy Groups for Women Dissatisfied With Their Body

“…Most research has focused on adolescents or young adult women (Forman & Davis, 2005;Lewis & Cachelin, 2001). Even less available is literature addressing how to work in a therapeutic context with women who are coping with this societal and cultural stressor.…”

“…Sometimes this dissatisfaction becomes more than a state of unhappiness; serious mental disorders including depression, anxiety, and other psychological symptomatology may also occur. Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, which affect both young women and middle-aged women, are also frequently associated with unnatural societal expectations for women's bodies (Forman & Davis, 2005).…”

Investigating the Role of Dispositional Mindfulness as a Protective Factor for Body Image Dissatisfaction Among Women

“…Negative appearance evaluation has found to negatively affect eating and exercise behaviours, grooming, investment behaviours, sexual beliefs and emotional stability (Cash and Fleming, 2002). Specifically, body image dissatisfaction has been associated with a range of poor psychosocial outcomes, including anxiety (Procopio et al, 2006), depression (Forman and Davis, 2005), impaired sexual functioning (Sanchez and Kiefer, 2007), low self-esteem (Frost and McKelvie, 2004) and diminished quality of life (Ganem and Morera, 2009). Increased frequency of dieting has been shown to be related to depression, affect regulation difficulties, low self-esteem, eating disorder symptomatology and perfectionism (Ackard et al, 2002).…”