Long Term Outcome of Anorexia Nervosa

Abstract

The long-term outcome (mean follow-up period 5.7 years) for 20 patients with anorexia nervosa was assessed on a comprehensive battery of self-report inventories and a structured clinical interview. Two thirds of the cohort were improved to a clinically significant degree at follow-up, but the majority still showed higher than normal scores on inventories of anorexic symptomatology, social maladjustment, anxiety, and hostility. The remaining one third were unimproved and demonstrated a broad range of impairment including distorted attitudes toward eating, overconcern about body shape, poor social functioning, high levels of anxiety, hostility, depression, and external locus of control. Moderate to strong correlations were found across outcome measures. Longer duration of eating difficulties before presentation was a strong predictor of poor long-term outcome, suggesting a chronic relapsing form of the disorder occurred in a subgroup of patients.

Outcome of severe anorexia nervosa patients receiving inpatient treatment in Japan: An 8‐year follow‐up study

“…This indicated that our patients with poor outcome took more time from the onset of illness to referral. A number of studies have suggested that a large interval between the time of onset and first admission for treatment may be negatively related to the outcome of treatment 29–31 . These findings suggest that patients older than 20 years at onset and with a longer time from the onset to referral may be associated with poor outcome.…”

Empirical scrutiny of a familiar narrative: sense of control in anorexia nervosa

“…Typically this relationship is articulated as one of less control with advancing chronicity, although the mechanisms inducing this are described differently by different models (Surgenor, Horn, Plumridge, & Hudson, 2002). Finally, psychological control constructs have been suggested as prognostic indicators (Hood, Moore, & Garner, 1982;Jones, Halford, & Dooley, 1993) and predictors of treatment response (Strober, 1982) and menstrual status (Swain, Shisslak, & Crago, 1991). These views are also to be found in theoretical accounts.…”

Compliance and outcome in treatment‐resistant anorexia and bulimia: A retrospective study

“…Poor outcome in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa has been associated with a number of prognostic indicators. These include longer duration of illness, increased severity of symptoms, poor motivation for therapy, failure of previous treatment, chronicity, and psychiatric comorbidity (Herzog, Keller, & Lavori, 1988;Herzog, Nussbaum, & Marmor, 1996;Jones, Halford, & Dooley, 1993;Pollice, Kaye, Greeno, & Weltzin, 1997;Schoemaker, 1997;Treasure, 1991). Several of the aforementioned indicators are typically present in eating-disordered patients with a history of recalcitrance or resistance to treatment, and poor outcome is common in this population (Hamburg, Herzog, & Brotman, 1996;Hamburg, Herzog, Brotman, & Stasior, 1989;Yager, 1992).…”