The buffet challenge: a behavioral assessment of eating behavior in adolescents with an eating disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Eating disorders are characterized by disturbances in nutritional intake and abnormal mealtime behaviors. Laboratory eating paradigms offer a unique opportunity to accurately measure dietary intake and eating behaviors, however, these studies have predominantly occurred in adults. This paper describes the development and preliminary psychometric examination of the Buffet Challenge, a laboratory-based meal task for youths with an eating disorder. METHOD: We recruited and assessed 56 participants as part of a randomized controlled trial of Family-Based Treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa. Adolescents completed the Buffet Challenge at baseline, midway through treatment (~ week 16 of a 6 months course), and end of treatment. Participants and their parents also reported eating disorder symptomatology and treatment related variables of interest were recorded. RESULTS: All adolescents were willing to complete the Buffet Challenge at all time points, although one refused to give up their cellphone, and there were no significant adverse events recorded. Preliminary results are presented. CONCLUSIONS: Our initial pilot of this task in adolescents with anorexia nervosa demonstrates its acceptability, although investigation of our hypotheses was hindered by significant missing data due to COVID-related research shutdowns. Future studies should replicate procedures in a larger sample to ensure analyses are adequately powered.

Functioning status of adult children of depressed parents: a 23-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: We compared adult offspring of depressed or control parents who were followed for 23 years. Comparisons were on depression symptoms, physical functioning and disability, social functioning, and utilization of help and coping. Also examined was whether the parent's course of depression (stably remitted, partially remitted, non-remitted) was associated with offspring functioning. METHOD: Depressed parents successfully followed at 23 years (n=248, 82%) identified 215 adult offspring; 67% returned questionnaires. Matched control parents successfully followed (n=235, 79%) identified 261 adult offspring; 68% completed questionnaires. RESULTS: Adult offspring of depressed parents were more impaired than adult offspring of controls (with gender and education controlled) in the domains of depression and disability, and obtained more help for mental health problems. They also reported more severe recent stressors and relied more on active cognitive coping and seeking alternative rewards to cope. Adult offspring of depressed and control parents were comparable in a number of domains: psychiatric and behavioral problems other than depression, physical functioning and pain, social functioning, and hospitalizations and medication use for depression. Adult offspring of parents with a non-remitted course of depression were the most likely to show impaired functioning compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: Having a parent with depression is associated with more depression and disability in adulthood, but does not have debilitating effects in other life domains. Nonetheless, it may be important for offspring of depressed parents, particularly offspring of parents with a non-remitting depression course, to recognize their elevated risk of depression and potential need for help.

Changes in services and structure in community residential treatment facilities for substance abuse patients.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the extent to which community residential facilities that contract with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to treat substance abuse patients are providing more services and structure to meet the needs of a client population with increasingly severe problems. METHODS: A nationwide sample of 249 community residential facilities with VA contracts was surveyed in 1995 and again in 1998. RESULTS: In 1998 facilities were more likely than they were in 1995 to have psychiatrists and psychologists available to patients as well as specialized counseling and psychoeducational, rehabilitation, and medical services. Facilities also provided more social and recreational activities, and more structure was provided by discouraging patients' choice of individual daily living patterns. In 1998 the facilities were more likely to admit dual diagnosis patients, those with substance use disorders and psychiatric disorders. Programs that changed toward accepting dual diagnosis patients had more services and structure than programs that consistently accepted only substance abuse patients. CONCLUSIONS: Community residential facilities that contract with VA are responding appropriately to an increasingly ill patient population by providing more services and structure.

Parental risk and resistance factors among children with juvenile rheumatic disease: a four-year predictive study.

Examined the extent to which baseline functioning and parental risk and resistance factors predicted disease-related (functional disability and pain) and psychosocial functioning (social competence and behavior problems) 4 years later among 172 children with juvenile rheumatic disease. The study also examined the extent to which fathers' risk and resistance factors explained patients' adaptation, above and beyond maternal factors. Poorer baseline functioning was a strong risk factor that predicted poorer functioning 4 years later. In addition, parental risk and resistance factors at baseline predicted patients' adjustment after patients' age and baseline functioning were controlled. Mothers' and fathers' personal strain and depressed mood, and fathers' drinking problems, were associated with poorer patient adjustment; mothers' and fathers' social functioning appeared to aid patients' adjustment. Fathers' risk and resistance factors contributed independently from those of mother, to predict patients' outcome.