Biomaterial Database

An evaluation of family therapy in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. 1987

G F Russell, and G I Szmukler, and C Dare, and I Eisler

Institute of Psychiatry, London.

A controlled trial comparing family therapy with individual supportive therapy in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa was undertaken. Eighty patients (57 with anorexia nervosa; 23 with bulimia nervosa) were first admitted to a specialized unit to restore their weight to normal. Before discharge, they were randomly allocated to family therapy or the control treatment (individual supportive therapy). After one year of psychological treatment, they were reassessed, using body weight, menstrual function, and ratings on the Morgan and Russell scales. Family therapy was found to be more effective than individual therapy in patients whose illness was not chronic and had begun before the age of 19 years. A more tentative finding was the greater value of individual supportive therapy in older patients. To our knowledge, this is the first controlled trial of family therapy in anorexia nervosa and clarifies the specific indications for this treatment.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D010043	Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care	Evaluation procedures that focus on both the outcome or status (OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT) of the patient at the end of an episode of care - presence of symptoms, level of activity, and mortality; and the process (ASSESSMENT, PROCESS) - what is done for the patient diagnostically and therapeutically.	Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care),Donabedian Model,Donabedian Triad,Outcome and Process Assessment,Structure Process Outcome Triad,Model, Donabedian,Triad, Donabedian
D010352	Patient Dropouts	Discontinuance of care received by patient(s) due to reasons other than full recovery from the disease.	Dropout, Patient,Dropouts, Patient,Patient Dropout
D011613	Psychotherapy	A generic term for the treatment of mental illness or emotional disturbances primarily by verbal or nonverbal communication.	Psychotherapies
D001835	Body Weight	The mass or quantity of heaviness of an individual. It is expressed by units of pounds or kilograms.	Body Weights,Weight, Body,Weights, Body
D002032	Bulimia	Eating an excess amount of food in a short period of time, as seen in the disorder of BULIMIA NERVOSA. It is caused by an abnormal craving for food, or insatiable hunger also known as "ox hunger".	Binge Eating,Bulimias,Eating, Binge
D002986	Clinical Trials as Topic	Works about pre-planned studies of the safety, efficacy, or optimum dosage schedule (if appropriate) of one or more diagnostic, therapeutic, or prophylactic drugs, devices, or techniques selected according to predetermined criteria of eligibility and observed for predefined evidence of favorable and unfavorable effects. This concept includes clinical trials conducted both in the U.S. and in other countries.	Clinical Trial as Topic
D005196	Family Therapy	A form of group psychotherapy. It involves treatment of more than one member of the family simultaneously in the same session.	Therapy, Family,Family Therapies,Therapies, Family
D005260	Female		Females
D005500	Follow-Up Studies	Studies in which individuals or populations are followed to assess the outcome of exposures, procedures, or effects of a characteristic, e.g., occurrence of disease.	Followup Studies,Follow Up Studies,Follow-Up Study,Followup Study,Studies, Follow-Up,Studies, Followup,Study, Follow-Up,Study, Followup