Childhood trauma has dose-effect relationship with dropping out from psychotherapeutic treatment for bulimia nervosa: a replication.

OBJECTIVE: The primary goal of this study was to replicate the finding that experiences of childhood trauma have a dose-effect relationship with dropping out from psychotherapeutic treatment for bulimia nervosa. It also aimed to replicate logistic regression findings that parental break-up predicts dropping out. METHOD: The cohort consisted of 114 women consecutively presenting to an outpatient eating disorders clinic with bulimia nervosa or atypical bulimia nervosa. Data were gathered using a retrospective, case-note approach and were analysed using logistic regression (LR). A correlation technique was employed to assess the presence of a dose-effect relationship between experiences of trauma in childhood and dropping out. LR models were double cross-validated between this and an earlier cohort. RESULTS: The dose-effect relationship between experiences of childhood trauma and dropping out was confirmed. Witnessing parental break-up in childhood again predicted dropping out of treatment in adulthood. Cross-validation of LR equations was unsuccessful. DISCUSSION: These results strongly suggest that experiences of childhood trauma have a dose-effect relationship with dropping out. Parental break-up is a stable predictor of dropping out. It is possible that these experiences influence attachment style, particularly the ability to make and maintain a trusting relationship with a psychotherapist. Clinical implications are discussed.

Do broken relationships in childhood relate to bulimic women breaking off psychotherapy in adulthood?

OBJECTIVE/METHOD: The case notes of 111 women presenting consecutively to an outpatient eating disorders clinic with bulimia nervosa or atypical bulimia nervosa were reviewed for pretreatment factors that predicted dropout in a retrospective study. Dropping out was conceptualized as not just a patient characteristic but as a transaction between patient and therapist. Factors believed to influence this transaction included experiences of childhood trauma, severity of eating disorder characteristics and comorbid psychiatric symptoms, demographic characteristics, waiting times for assessment and therapy, distance traveled to the clinic, previous experience of psychiatric treatment, and Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem questionnaire results. RESULTS: Witnessing parental breakup, being younger, being employed outside the home, and having previous experience of psychiatric treatment predicted dropping out in logistic regression models. Experiences of childhood trauma had a dose-effect relationship with dropping out. Having lower overall severity of eating disorder characteristics may also relate to dropping out. DISCUSSION: An impaired ability to trust resulting from disturbed attachments may link childhood trauma and dropping out.

Chlormethiazole in treatment of status epilepticus.

Chlormethiazole (Heminevrin) was successful in controlling fits in seven out of nine episodes of intractable status epilepticus. It was administered as a constant intravenous injection at rates of up to 0.7g/h. No serious side effects were encountered, and the drug deserves wider recognition as a useful therapeutic agent in the management of status epilepticus.