EVALUATION OF A DAY TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR EATING DISORDERS

A day hospital treatment programme is described for eating disordered patients who would otherwise require inpatient treatment. The characte ristics at presentation of 106 consecutive patients are described. Of patients completing the programme, 65 could be recruited for the outco me study. At presentation, 26 per cent fulfilled DSM-IV criteria Sor a norexia nervosa, 65 per cent for bulimia nervosa and 9 per cent had an eating disorder not otherwise specified. The average length of treatm ent of all patients was 13 weeks. There was significant weight gain am ong the anorectic patients and a significant decrease in the average n umber of binges among the bulimic patients. Statistically significant improvements over time for psychological, sexual and socioeconomic adj ustment were also obtained. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.