Abstract
Background: Outpatient family-based treatment (FBT) is the best-documented treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa (AN), but research is scarce on FBT adapted to inpatient settings.
Aims: To investigate the naturalistic outcome of inpatient FBT for adolescent AN.
Methods: Thirty-seven (65%) of 57 patients who received inpatient FBT at a tertiary adolescent eating disorders (ED) unit participated in a follow-up interview (mean 4.5 ±1.8, range 1-7 yrs) that assessed ED symptoms and general psychological functioning.
Results: A majority (65%) had achieved a normal body weight (BMI>18.5). Thirty-six percent (n=12) were classified as fully recovered, as defined by BMI>18.5, EDE-Q global <2.5, and no binge eating/purging over past 3 months. Sixteen (43%) participants met criteria for one or more additional comorbid disorders.
Conclusion: Inpatient family-based therapy for AN may be a promising therapeutic approach for adolescents that fail to respond to outpatient treatment, and should be investigated further.
The final version of this research has been published in European Eating Disorders Review. © 2017 WIley