Adding maintaining factors to developmental models of anorexia nervosa: An empirical examination in adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: A biopsychosocial approach has been proposed to explain the pathogenesis of anorexia nervosa (AN), despite only a few of the existing etiological models having received empirical support. The aim of this study was to empirically investigate Herpertz-Dahlmann, Seitz, and Konrad (2011, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-011-0246-y)'s developmental model and to consider if interpersonal reactions to the illness might serve as maintaining factors following the model proposed by Treasure and Schmidt (2013, https://doi.org/10.1186/2050-2974-1-13) METHOD: One hundred adolescents and their families were participated in the study: 50 diagnosed with AN, paired by age and parents' socio-economic status with 50 adolescents without a pathology. Biological, psychological and familial variables were assessed using ten questionnaires and a blood analysis test. Additionally, structural equation modeling was conducted to assess two hypothetical models. RESULTS: The fit of both models was good after the addition of two covariate parameters (e.g., Comparative Fit Index > 0.96 and Tucker-Lewis Index > 0.95). Premorbid traits were linked to body dissatisfaction and to the number of stressful life events; this in turn was linked to AN symptoms. Biological and familial consequences reinforced this pathology. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide support for both models, suggesting that inter relationships between bio-psycho-familial variables can influence the course of AN during adolescence.

Severe and enduring anorexia nervosa: Fertile ground for iatrogenic development.

Care providers and individuals with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa (SE-AN) are weathering a perfect storm in which the sickest patients receive the least evidence-based treatment and iatrogenic factors play a significant role. Examining access to treatment from an ethical perspective is one strategy for developing more objective protocols related to the care of individuals with SE-AN.

Maintaining Factors of Anorexia Nervosa Addressed from a Psychotherapeutic Group for Parents: Supplementary Report of a Patient's Therapeutic Success.

(1) Background: Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder (ED) where up to 30% of individuals remain unresponsive to treatments, whether they partially respond, or do respond and later relapse. It has been broadly reported how presenting maladaptive family functioning and communication style contributes to treatment drop-out, poor treatment compliance, and poor long-term outcomes. We studied the mother and father of a patient with AN, binge-purge subtype (according to DSM-IV TR) who achieved remission after her parents but not her attended an intervention through a psychotherapy group for parents (PGP). (2) Methods: We previously reported this patient's case report, and now, through an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach, we aimed to explore the understanding and meanings ascribed by the mother and father to their experience at the PGP and to their daughter's clinical and functional improvement. (3) Results: We identified two main stages along the process: one related to the presence of maintaining factors of their daughter's disorder, and the other related to the emergence of a reflective function and to the implementation of behavioral, emotional and cognitive changes. (4) Conclusions: The interview revealed both parents' experience at the PGP promoted a change process, where they were able to modify their previous style of communication and functioning, and to identify them as a contributors to maintain their daughter's disorder. Reflective function (RF) emerged in the mother and father throughout the psychotherapeutic process. Both parents also revealed some elements that were intergenerationally transmitted, that affected three generations and contributed to maintaining the ED. We observed the multilevel open-group structure of the PGP, enhancing the mother's and father's change process.

Group family psychotherapy during relapse. Case report of a novel intervention for severe and enduring anorexia nervosa / Psicoterapia familiar grupal durante la recaída. Caso clínico de una intervención novedosa para la anorexia nerviosa grave y duradera

Abstract Background Anorexia nervosa is a complex and highly variable disorder. Preventing patients from becoming resistant to treatments is fundamental since an important percentage develops a severe and enduring disorder; and because relapse is highly associated with psychiatric comorbidity, poor prognosis, and serious medical consequences due to malnutrition. Contemporary treatments for anorexia nervosa support the benefits of involving the family in treatment, and although the gold standard of family psychotherapy offers an excellent option for anorexia nervosa, that intervention is aimed at early stages, and therapeutic options for later stages of the disorder are reduced and not clearly established. Objective Expose the therapeutic effect of the protocol for severe and enduring cases of anorexia nervosa at relapse, used at the Clinic of Eating Behavior of the National Institute of Psychiatry, Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, whose theoretical foundation is systemic therapy. Method To develop this case report, we carried out an in-depth review of the clinical records, and of the clinic attendance records of the case presented here. CARE clinical case report guidelines format were used. Results The case shows how a young woman, diagnosed with anorexia nervosa with clinical signs of severe and enduring anorexia nervosa (SE-AN), was able to achieve symptomatic remission after her parents, but not her, were administered the protocol for SE-AN. Discussion and conclusion Here we present an emblematic case showing the importance of getting the parents involved in the treatment of anorexia nervosa.

Resumen Antecedentes La anorexia nervosa es un trastorno complejo y muy variable. Evitar que los pacientes se vuelvan resistentes a los tratamientos es fundamental, pues un porcentaje importante desarrolla un trastorno grave y duradero; adicionalmente, la recaída está muy asociada con una alta comorbilidad psiquiátrica, un mal pronóstico y graves consecuencias médicas debido a la desnutrición. El tratamiento actual de la anorexia nervosa respalda los beneficios de involucrar a la familia en el tratamiento, y, aunque el estándar de oro en psicoterapia familiar ofrece una excelente opción para la anorexia nervosa, dicha intervención está orientada a etapas tempranas y las opciones para las etapas tardías del trastorno son reducidas, además de no estar claramente establecidas. Objetivo Exponer el efecto terapéutico del protocolo para casos graves y duraderos de anorexia nervosa en recaída, de la Clínica de Trastornos de la Conducta Alimentaria (CTA) del Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, cuya base teórica es la terapia sistémica. Método Para integrar este caso, realizamos una revisión a fondo del expediente clínico y de los registros asistenciales del caso que aquí presentamos. Se utilizó el formato de reporte de caso de las guías CARE. Resultados El caso muestra cómo una joven, con signos clínicos de anorexia nervosa grave y duradera (AN-GD), pudo lograr remisión sintomatológica después de que sus padres, pero no ella, recibieran tratamiento con el protocolo para AN-GD. Discusión y conclusión Aquí presentamos un caso emblemático que muestra la importancia de involucrar a los padres en el tratamiento de la anorexia nervosa.

Maintaining factors of posttraumatic stress symptoms following childbirth: A population-based, two-year follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has established a number of risk factors that are associated with the onset of PTSD following childbirth. However, little is known about factors that maintain PTSD symptoms. METHODS: This study is part of the Akershus Birth Cohort. Questionnaire data from pregnancy week 17, 8 weeks postpartum and 2 years postpartum were used. 1473 women completed all these three questionnaires and were included in the analyses. Post-traumatic stress symptoms were measured with the Impact of Event Scale. Potential maintaining factors were personality, sleep, support and life events. The factors that were significantly correlated with post-traumatic stress symptoms were entered into regression analyses. Mediation analyses were run to test whether significant predictors would serve as mediator of post-traumatic stress symptoms at 8 weeks postpartum to post-traumatic stress symptoms at 2 years postpartum. RESULTS: We found several low to moderate associations between maintaining factors and PTSD symptoms two years postpartum. Adjusting for the starting point - PTSD symptoms 8 weeks postpartum - only insomnia remained significantly associated. Further, insomnia mediated a small portion of the effect of PTSD symptoms 8 weeks postpartum to PTSD symptoms 2 years postpartum. LIMITATIONS: Limitations of the study include a relative homogeneous sample, modest effect sizes, low internal consistency of some of the measures and the challenge to distinguish insomnia from PTSD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of postpartum PTSD might benefit from addressing insomnia if present. Alleviating insomnia may itself reduce daytime symptoms of PTSD and it may also increase the efficacy of primary PTSD treatments.