How Well are ‘Cured’ Anorexia Nervosa Patients?

Abstract

Eating behaviour, nutritional intake and psychopathology were examined in 16 weight-recovered anorexia nervosa patients. The Eating Disorders Examination (EDE) and a food diary were the main outcome measures, but body fat content and psychosocial adjustment were also assessed. Although body fat and overall psychosocial adjustment had returned to normal in most patients, 12 still had a restricted eating pattern with nutritional intake below 90% of their energy requirements. These results suggest that weight, menstruation, and psychosocial criteria are not sufficient to determine full recovery from anorexia nervosa, and that attention should be given also to measures of the specific behavioural and attitudinal disturbance.

Metasynthesis of the Views about Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa in Adolescents: Perspectives of Adolescents, Parents, and Professionals

“…Several studies have demonstrated the risks of defining recovery only by physical and behavioral criteria and not taking the individual’s psychological functioning into account. The persistence of anorexic cognitions and food restriction after normalizing weight [65] and the high levels of depression, anxiety, and obsessional behavior among adolescents who have “recovered” from AN [66] may produce instead a pseudorecovery , that is, a physical recovery but with the psychological components of AN unchanged [67] and therefore a high risk of relapse [68]. …”

Characteristics of inpatient weight gain in adolescent anorexia nervosa: relation to speed of relapse and re‐admission

“…For most patients suffering from severe anorexia nervosa (AN) hospitalization does not lead to full remission, but long-term therapeutic involvement is required, inasmuch as in many of these patients a wide range of residual psychopathological features persist after weightrecovery (Windauer et al, 1993;Bastiani et al, 1995;Eckert et al, 1995;Herpertz-Dahlmann et al, 1996). Research ®ndings on the long-term course of AN suggest that a signi®cant percentage of individuals successfully treated in hospital experience a worsening of symptoms after discharge, prior to recovery (Theander, 1970;Eckert et al, 1995;Strober et al, 1997).…”

Annotation: Eating Disorders in Children

“…For example, Windauer, Lennerts, Talbot, Touyz and Beumont (1993) have demonstrated that in a majority of patients whose weight had returned to normal, marked eating and other problems persisted. The Morgan and Russell outcome scales and scores (1975) allov/ for more specific outcome measures.…”