CLINICAL-FEATURES OF PATIENTS WITH ANOREXIA-NERVOSA - ASSESSMENT OF FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DURATION OF INPATIENT TREATMENT

We investigated that factors affecting the duration of in-patient trea tment of patients with anorexia nervosa by comparing pretreatment clin ical features with the length of hospitalization in 55 patients. Only patients who had completed the entire course of treatment were include d in our analysis. Longer hospitalization was correlated with: poor so cial adaptation; anxiety and/or personality disorders before onset; ol der age at onset; older age at admission to our hospital; lower minimu m body weight after onset; lower body weight at admission; longer dura tion of illness; frequent previous hospital treatment and/or history o f in-patient treatment for anorexia nervosa or other somatic disorders after onset; habitual stimulant (alcohol, coffee and/or cigarettes) a buse; and a history of stealing after onset. Step-wise regression anal ysis revealed that minimum body weight after onset and age at admissio n explained 47% of the variance in the duration of in-patient treatmen t. We also describe the nature of in patient treatment typically offer ed to patients with anorexia nervosa in Japan.