Eating disorder recovery in men: A pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: This pilot study examined the validity of a comprehensive definition of recovery (physical, behavioral, and cognitive recovery indices) for the first time in men. METHOD: Men with an eating disorder history were recruited from former patients at eating disorder centers, university campuses, and fitness centers/gyms. At baseline and a 12-month follow-up, data were collected via online surveys, diagnostic interviews, and measured weight and height from men with an eating disorder history (n = 36) and men with no eating disorder history (n = 27). RESULTS: Of the men with an eating disorder history, 15 met criteria for an eating disorder, 7 met criteria for partial recovery, and 5 for full recovery. Men who met criteria for full recovery did not differ significantly from men with no eating disorder history and had significantly lower levels of broad eating pathology, thinness and restricting expectancies, body shame, difficulties in stopping thoughts about body, food, or exercise, and male body attitudes related to muscularity and body fat than men with an eating disorder. Men meeting criteria for full recovery had higher levels of body acceptance and intuitive eating than men who met criteria for partial recovery or an eating disorder. In terms of predictive validity, of those fully recovered at baseline, 60% also met full recovery criteria at follow-up. DISCUSSION: Preliminary findings suggest that a comprehensive definition of recovery applies to men. Although research with larger samples is needed, this research provides some optimism for the potential of recovery in men.

Couple-based interventions in the treatment of adult anorexia nervosa: A brief case example of UCAN.

Adult anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious and often fatal illness that significantly erodes quality of life for both the patient and loved ones. Treatment of adults with AN has focused largely on individual therapy, with recent findings suggesting that improvement is limited and dropout rates are high. In an effort to improve treatment response, we developed a couple-based intervention, Uniting Couples in the treatment of Anorexia Nervosa (UCAN) as an adjunct treatment to standard multidisciplinary care. UCAN leverages the support of a partner and the relationship in treatment by decreasing avoidance around AN, teaching the couple how to effectively address the eating disorder, and helping to foster a more satisfying relationship. This paper presents a case study of a couple who completed UCAN, "Laura and Steve," including their experiences in treatment and outcome measures at pretest, posttest, and 3-month follow-up. Laura showed clinically significant change on the Restraint subscale of the Eating Disorders Examination at follow-up, and both partners showed clinically significant improvements in relationship satisfaction, as well as on self-reported and observed communication. Both partners reported very high satisfaction with the treatment. A discussion of therapists' experiences in delivering UCAN is provided, including common challenges for therapists with primarily a couple therapy or an individual CBT for eating disorders background, as well as important factors for therapists to consider in order to optimally leverage the benefits of including partners in treatment for AN. (PsycINFO Database Record

Relationships among personal space boundaries, peer acceptance, and peer reputation in adolescents.

PROBLEM: Peer relationships are important to the health of adolescents who are at a developmental period of moving from parental influence to potentially dangerous peer influence. Interpersonal communication processes are logical antecedents of peer relationships. However, research in this area with adolescent populations is limited. METHODS: Exploratory descriptive study using observational technique to collect nonverbal and verbal communication data on adolescents (N = 28). Observer ratings of personal boundaries and peer acceptance were correlated with anonymous peer ratings of sociability/leadership, aggressiveness/disruptiveness, and sensitivity/isolation, with comparisons made between males and females. FINDINGS: Boundaries are related to peer acceptance and peer reputation and are interpreted differently in males and females. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides beginning evidence of the usefulness of Personal Space Boundary Theory in understanding adolescent behavior.