INPATIENT TREATMENT OF ANOREXIA-NERVOSA - REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Inpatient treatment of anorexia nervosa, difficult and at times comple x, has been shown to promote enduring change. An integrated treatment approach that includes medical, psychological, nursing, and social int erventions can restore patients to a healthy weight, improve abnormal eating behaviors, and ameliorate many of the central psychopathologica l attitudes and illness-driven behaviors characteristic of the disorde r. This article reviews inpatient treatment of anorexia nervosa, evalu ating empirical studies and providing a critique of their methodology and potential applicability, combining available published studies wit h clinical experience to suggest a comprehensive pragmatic treatment a pproach, and noting research needs for the future. More controlled dou ble-blind studies are urgently needed to assess virtually every aspect of inpatient care, especially methods for promoting safe and rapid we ight restoration. Comparative studies on the efficacy of behavioral, p sychotherapeutic, and pharmacological approaches and determination of the optimum step-wise preparation for discharge into a weight-preoccup ied society are also needed.