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

Abstract

Eating Disorders (EDs) are quite distinct and difficult to treat mental disorders. Remarkably, when reviewing studies on the recovery process of ED's, the patients' experience of the therapeutic process has rarely been taken into account. To address the issue of the patients perspective on their recovery a study was conducted among ED patients. The main aims of the study were to investigate treatment factors, according to the patients view, that contributed to their recovery. Also, if there was any significant improvement within the first six months of the treatment and whether subjective improvement was in accordance with objective ED improvement and finally possible, if any, differences between different diagnostic groups.Overall, four major conclusions were produced. First, most of the patients appreciate a structured therapy in a specialized unit for EDs with a caring therapist that can form a strong therapeutic alliance with them. Second, most of the patients regard as recovery a change that goes beyond ED symptomatology to a more "holistic" improvement. Third, the patients opinion on therapy and recovery is not influenced by the diagnosis of the ED. Finally, the opinion of the patient and the objective evaluation of recovery present more similarities than differences.

Associations between therapy experiences and perceived helpfulness of treatment for people with eating disorders

“…Furthermore, in the most helpful treatment model, this explanatory variable represented the lowest contribution to perceived helpfulness. This contradicts prior studies that postulated an individual’s intrinsic value for change was fundamental to aiding recovery [ 26 , 47 – 49 ]. This may be explained by motivation being continuously engendered throughout treatment, through means such as motivational interviewing [ 50 ] rather than being a prerequisite for treatment.…”