title: The case for early intervention in anorexia nervosa: theoretical exploration of maintaining factors.
abstract: Here we revisit and reinterpret the original study in which the so-called 'Maudsley (London) model' of family therapy was compared with individual therapy for anorexia nervosa. Family therapy was more effective in adolescents with a short duration of illness. However, this is only part of the story. A later study describing the 5-year outcome contains important information. Those adolescents randomised to family therapy achieved a better outcome 5 years later. Moreover, the group with an onset in adolescence but who had been ill for over 3 years had a poor response to both family and individual therapy, suggesting that unless effective treatment is given within the first 3 years of illness onset, the outcome is poor. We examine other evidence supporting this conclusion and consider the developmental and neurobiological factors that can account for this.
authors: Janet
authors: J
authors: Treasure
authors: Gerald
authors: G
authors: Russell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult