The effectiveness of a day program for the treatment of adolescent anorexia nervosa.
OBJECTIVE
The risks of anorexia nervosa (AN) are well established. Despite its severity, little certainty exists for practitioners, with ethical and financial limitations yielding few controlled studies establishing effective treatments. Thus, other methods of establishing treatment effectiveness are necessary. This study presents preliminary results of an open clinical trial of a day program for adolescents with AN.


METHODS
Participants were 26 anorectic females, 12-18 years, who completed the "Transition Program."


RESULTS
Significant change emerged on measures of weight gain, and behavioral and attitudinal measures of eating pathology. Large effect sizes were evident for weight gain at 6 month follow-up. Preliminary trends suggest that treatment gains on these and other measures of eating pathology were maintained at 6 month follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Preliminary results support day program treatment for adolescents with mild-moderately severe eating disorders. Present outcomes are discussed with respect to the dearth of efficacious treatment options for adolescents.
Goldstein
Mandy
M
Department of Psychology, Centre for Emotional Health, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. mandy.goldstein@psy.mq.edu.au
Peters
Lorna
L
Baillie
Andrew
A
McVeagh
Patricia
P
Minshall
Gerri
G
Fitzjames
Dianne
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010045:Outpatients; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015430:Weight Gain