Treatment perception in adolescent onset anorexia nervosa: Retrospective views of patients and parents

Abstract

Objective: To investigate perception of treatment in former patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and their parents, and to determine whether this was related to outcome and treatment characteristics. Client satisfaction is important for treatment engagement and adherence.Method: Forty-six (of 55) girls with adolescent onset AN, 33 mothers and 26 fathers participated in a follow-up study conducted 8.8 (SD 3.3) years after start of treatment. The former patients were assessed using diagnostic interviews. Only nine participants (19%) had an eating disorder (ED) at follow-up. Perception of treatment was assessed by questionnaires.

Family experiences of living with an eating disorder: A narrative analysis

“…The efficacy of eating disorder treatments is notoriously inconsistent (Bulik, Berkman, Brownley, Sedway, and Lohr, 2007) and both parents (Tierney, 2005) and sufferers (Halvorsen and Heyerdahl, 2007) have previously articulated dissatisfaction at the treatment process. Given Frank (1995) suggests restitution is first and foremost a story about the expertise of others and the heroism of the medical world, it makes sense that Mum should berate health professionals when what is culturally promised is undelivered.…”

Treatments for Eating Disorders: The Patients' Views

“…Feeling supported by their families was also valued by participants, and they expressed concern about what they felt was insufficient communication between their care providers and their support network. Similarly, a study evaluating anorexia nervosa patients' treatment perceptions found that many of the participants felt that their parents had not received sufficient help to support their daughters (Halvorsen & Heyerdahl, 2007). These findings suggest that ED treatment teams should have regular sessions with their patients' families in order to provide information and guidance about how to best support them during the therapeutic process.…”

The Patient’s Perspective: Exploring Factors that Contribute to Recovery from Eating Disorders

“…According to the patients' view, the therapist and especially a feeling of trust toward the therapist were the most important elements of what they considered high-quality therapy [18,19]. The patients believed that a good therapist needs to have "good communication skills, knowledge of and experience with EDs, the ability to facilitate engaging in a relationship with the patient, to listen to the patient, to stand beside the patient and work together, and to focus on the person and not the disorder" [18].…”

“…The patients believed that a good therapist needs to have "good communication skills, knowledge of and experience with EDs, the ability to facilitate engaging in a relationship with the patient, to listen to the patient, to stand beside the patient and work together, and to focus on the person and not the disorder" [18]. Therapists having specific expertise in EDs seem to be very important elements for a positive outcome of the therapy, both for the patients and their families [19]. Furthermore, the way that the therapist interacts with the patient plays a major role in the treatment's success, according to patient opinion.…”