INPATIENT TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS - A COGNITIVE THERAPY MILIEU

Inpatient treatment of eating disorders has evolved over the past 20 y ears. Interventions have progressed from single treatments based on na rrow concepts of origin to multidisciplinary approaches. Cognitive the rapy has been shown to be effective in outpatient studies, especially with bulimia nervosa, but has yet to be used systematically within an inpatient setting. This article describes the framework of an inpatien t unit with psychotherapeutic interventions based on cognitive behavio ral principles. The basic structure of the unit is described in terms of the theoretical principles upon which it is based. The team-oriente d interventions are described to demonstrate how the patient with an e ating disorder is understood and treated.