Anorexia nervosa: a study of 44 strictly defined cases.
Forty-four patients with strictly defined anorexia nervosa were studied. They were found to come from the higher socio-economic levels and to be the early born of older parents. Their families were of average size, but females were over-represented. Premorbid obesity was uncommon, but over two-thirds had secondary depression. The treatment methods used until 1974 showed no great variation in success. Poor prognosis was most commonly linked to use of purgatives. A new treatment programme involving re-feeding to reach ideal weight and followed by psychotherapy shows encouraging results.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012923:Social Class