Outcome predictors in the short-term treatment of anorexia nervosa: an integrated medical-psychiatric approach.
OBJECTIVE
Factors predicting clinical outcome in the short-term treatment of anorexia nervosa.


METHODS
Longitudinal follow-up study.


METHODS
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, "Federico II" University of Naples.


METHODS
Fifty-eight young anorectic women consecutively attending the outpatient Unit between January 1997 and December 2000.


METHODS
Body weight changes over six months' follow-up.


RESULTS
Body weight changes in the short term was exclusively predicted by the prevalent underlying psychiatric disorder, being increased in the patients with prevalently depressive traits, decreased in those with psychotic features and unchanged in those with a prevalently narcissistic personality.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalent psychiatric disorder seems to predict clinical outcome in the short term. Body weight gain per se cannot always be the main target of medical intervention, at least in the early phase of the treatment of malnutrition secondary to major eating disorders.
Signorini
A
A
CISRO, Clinical Nutrition, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Federico II University Hospital, Naples, Italy.
Bellini
O
O
Pasanisi
F
F
Contaldo
F
F
De Filippo
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D001828:Body Image; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011379:Prognosis; D013997:Time Factors; D015430:Weight Gain