Family therapy versus individual therapy for adolescent females with anorexia nervosa.
Behavioral family systems therapy (BFST) was compared with ego-oriented individual therapy (EOIT) in a controlled, random-assignment investigation involving 22 young adolescents with anorexia nervosa. Each adolescent and her parents received approximately 16 months of outpatient therapy along with a common medical and dietary regimen. BFST emphasized parental control over eating and weight gain, coupled with cognitive restructuring and problem-solving communication training. EOIT emphasized building ego strength, adolescent autonomy, and insight into the emotional blocks to eating. BFST produced greater change on body-mass index than did EOIT, but both treatments produced comparable improvements on eating attitudes, body shape dissatisfaction, interoceptive awareness, depression/internalizing psychopathology, and eating-related family conflict. The implications of these results for the clinician who treats adolescents with anorexia nervosa are discussed.
Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit 48201.
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Robin
P T
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Siegel
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T
Koepke
A W
AW
Moye
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Tice
D000293:Adolescent; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004532:Ego; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010553:Personality Development; D011340:Problem Solving; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*