Family therapy for adolescent anorexia nervosa

Abstract

Successful treatment of anorexia nervosa remains elusive for many cases. Involving the family in the treatment of adolescents with anorexia nervosa has proved to be of benefit for young clients with a short duration of illness. In fact, the benefits of family therapy have been shown to be enduring at five-year follow-up. Engaging in treatment and commitment to therapy are important factors affecting treatment outcome. For instance, parental criticism of the anorexic offspring can lead to early dropout of treatment or poor outcome in treatment. The case presented in this article demonstrates how the family's help can be solicited in restoring the adolescent's health in much the same way had the client been admitted to a specialist inpatient facility. Although the treatment in this case was relatively uncomplicated and brief, the family had to overcome their initial exasperation with the client's self-starvation in order to be helpful in the process of the adolescent's weight restoration. When this initial stumbling block was resolved, in part by the therapist's modeling of an uncritical stance toward the client's dilemma, the family was successful in nurturing their daughter back to health. Once the client's weight was restored, and the adolescent reintegrated with her peer group, she could negotiate her continued individuation from her parents, but without the eating disorder to cloud their relationship.