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Intensive Treatments in Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa.
Herpertz-Dahlmann, B
Nutrients. 2021;(4)
Abstract
Approximately one-fifth to one-third of patients with adolescent anorexia nervosa (AN) need intensive care in the course of their illness. This article provides an update and discussion on different levels of intensive care (inpatient treatment (IP), day patient treatment (DP) and home treatment (HoT)) in different health care systems based on recently published literature. Important issues discussed in this article are new recommendations for the refeeding process and the definition of target weight as well as principles of medical stabilization and psychotherapeutic approaches. The pros and cons of longer or shorter hospitalization times are discussed, and the advantages of stepped care and day patient treatment are described. A new promising intensive treatment method involving the patient, their caregivers and the direct home environment is introduced. Parents and caregivers should be included in treatment research to foster collaborative work with the attending clinicians. There is an urgent need to evaluate the mid- to long-term outcomes of various intensive treatment programs to compare their effectiveness and costs across different health care systems. This could help policy makers and other stakeholders, such as public and private insurances, to enhance the quality of eating disorder care.
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Developments in the psychological treatment of anorexia nervosa and their implications for daily practice.
Jansingh, A, Danner, UN, Hoek, HW, van Elburg, AA
Current opinion in psychiatry. 2020;(6):534-541
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PURPOSE OF REVIEW Our aim is to give an overview of the recent literature on psychological treatment for young adults and adults with anorexia nervosa and to discuss the implications of the findings for clinical practice. RECENT FINDINGS Three systematic reviews and meta-analyses have recently been published on psychological treatments for anorexia nervosa. Treatment outcomes are still modest and mainly focus on weight outcome, although outcomes for eating disorder disease and quality of life have also been reported. Adhering to a treatment protocol might lead to faster and better results. SUMMARY For children and adolescents with anorexia nervosa, the major guidelines recommend a family-based treatment. The treatments of choice for young adults and adults with anorexia nervosa are the Maudsley Anorexia Nervosa Treatment for Adults (MANTRA), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy-Enhanced (CBT-E) and Specialist Supportive Clinical Management (SSCM), but none of these treatments seem to be superior. In search of other ways to improve outcome, shared decision making may be a way to help patients become more involved in their treatment, enhance their motivation and consequently improve the outcome.
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Encouragement to Increase the Use of Psychosocial Skills in the Diagnosis and Therapy of Patients With Functional Dysphonia.
Kollbrunner, J, Seifert, E
Journal of voice : official journal of the Voice Foundation. 2017;(1):132.e1-132.e7
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Clinicians believe that psychosocial factors play a causal role in the etiology of many forms of functional dysphonia (FD). But for decades, all attempts to confirm such causation have failed. This paper aims to show the logic of this failure, to discuss the possibilities of employing psychology in therapy nonetheless, and to encourage clinicians to use their psychosocial knowledge and skills. The failure to confirm psychic and social factors as causal in the etiology of FD is basically a consequence of a principal shortcoming of evidence-based medicine (EBM). As the gold standard for validity, reliability, and objectivity in medical research, EBM is based on calculability and hence the processing of quantitative data. But life paths and life situations are best or sometimes only expressible in qualitative, experiential, and idiographic terms. Thus EBM-guided evaluation undervalues most psychosocial studies. This report of an experienced multidisciplinary voice team proposes alternative pathways for integrating psychosocial knowledge into the diagnosis and the treatment of FD. The difference between the fields of activity of psychotherapists and speech-language pathologists is discussed, and the latter group is shown the potential benefits of using more of their psychosocial knowledge and skills.
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Individual psychological therapy in the outpatient treatment of adults with anorexia nervosa.
Hay, PJ, Claudino, AM, Touyz, S, Abd Elbaky, G
The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 2015;(7):CD003909
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BACKGROUND Anorexia nervosa is a disorder with high morbidity and significant mortality. It is most common in young adult women, in whom the incidence may be increasing. The focus of treatment has moved to an outpatient setting, and a number of differing psychological therapies are presently used in treatment. This is an update of a Cochrane review which was last published in 2008. OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of specific individual psychological therapies for anorexia nervosa in adults or older adolescents treated in an outpatient setting. SEARCH METHODS We searched the Cochrane Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Review Group Specialised Register (CCDANCTR) (16 July 2014). This register includes relevant randomised controlled trials from: the Cochrane Library (all years), MEDLINE (1950 to date), EMBASE (1974 to date), and PsycINFO (1967 to date). We screened reference lists of all included studies and sent letters to identified, notable researchers requesting information on unpublished or ongoing studies. SELECTION CRITERIA All randomised controlled trials of one or more individual outpatient psychological therapies for adults with anorexia nervosa, as defined by DSM-5 or similar international criteria. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS We selected a range of outcome variables, including physical state, severity of eating disorder attitudes and beliefs, interpersonal function, and general psychiatric symptom severity. Continuous outcome data comparisons used the mean or standardised mean difference (MD or SMD), and binary outcome comparisons used the risk ratio (RR). Two review authors (PH and AC or ST) extracted data independently. MAIN RESULTS We identified 10 trials from the search, with a total of 599 anorexia nervosa participants, and included them in the review. Seven had been identified in the previous versions of this review and we now include three new trials. We now deem one previously identified ongoing trial to be ineligible, and six ongoing trials are new for this update. Two of the 10 trials included children. Trials tested diverse psychological therapies and comparability was poor. Risks of bias were mostly evident through lack of blinded outcome assessments (in 60% of studies) and incomplete data reporting (attrition bias).The results suggest that treatment as usual (TAU) when delivered by a non-eating-disorder specialist or similar may be less efficacious than focal psychodynamic therapy. This was suggested for a primary outcome of recovery by achievement of a good or intermediate outcome on the Morgan and Russell Scale (RR 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51 to 0.97; 1 RCT, 40 participants; very low-quality evidence). However there were no differences between cognitive analytic therapy and TAU for this outcome (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.61 to 1.00; 2 RCTs, 71 participants; very low-quality evidence), nor for body mass index (BMI). There were no differences in overall dropout rates between individual psychological therapies and TAU.Two trials found a non-specific specialist therapy (Specialist Supportive Clinical Management) or an Optimised TAU delivered by therapists with eating disorder expertise was similar in outcomes to cognitive behaviour therapy (BMI MD -0.00, 95% CI -0.91 to 0.91; 197 participants, low-quality evidence). When comparing individual psychological therapies with each other, no specific treatment was consistently superior to any other specific approach. Dietary advice as a control arm had a 100% non-completion rate in one trial (35 participants). None of the trials identified any adverse effects. Insufficient power was problematic for the majority of trials. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS There was a suggestion in one trial that focal psychodynamic therapy might be superior to TAU, but this is in the context of TAU performing poorly. An alternative control condition of dietary advice alone appeared to be unacceptable, but again this is based on just one trial. Owing to the risk of bias and limitations of studies, notably small sample sizes, we can draw no specific conclusions about the effects of specific individual psychological therapies for anorexia nervosa in adults or older adolescents. Larger RCTs of longer treatment duration and follow-up are needed.
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Preventing eating disorder pathology: common and unique features of successful eating disorders prevention programs.
Ciao, AC, Loth, K, Neumark-Sztainer, D
Current psychiatry reports. 2014;(7):453
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Over the past two decades, the field of eating disorders has made remarkable strides in identifying, evaluating, and disseminating successful prevention programs. The current review identifies and discusses nine distinct eating disorders prevention programs that reduce existing eating disorder pathology or prevent the onset of future pathology. Each program was evaluated in one or more controlled trial with a follow-up period of at least six months. We review the evidence base for these nine successful programs and discuss their common and unique features. Based on authors' descriptions of their programs in published trials, we found that all programs were theory-driven, targeted one or more eating disorder risk factor (e.g., body dissatisfaction), were delivered across multiple group sessions, and included at least some interactive content. Most programs included content related to healthy eating/nutrition, media literacy/sociocultural pressures, and body acceptance/body satisfaction. Notably, there was wide variation in some participant features (e.g., participant age, sex, risk status) and intervention features (e.g., setting and format, length and dose, providers), suggesting that a variety of programs are beneficial in impacting eating disorder pathology. Implications and directions for future research are discussed, including an increased focus on universal and indicated prevention programs, expanding programs to a wider age range and a broader spectrum of weight-related problems, and rigorous evaluation of programs through efficacy, effectiveness, and implementation research.
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Psychological interventions for individuals with cystic fibrosis and their families.
Goldbeck, L, Fidika, A, Herle, M, Quittner, AL
The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 2014;(6):CD003148
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BACKGROUND With increasing survival estimates for individuals with cystic fibrosis, long-term management has become an important focus. Psychological interventions are largely concerned with adherence to treatment, emotional and social adaptation and health-related quality of life. We are unaware of any relevant systematic reviews. OBJECTIVES To determine whether psychological interventions for people with cystic fibrosis provide significant psychosocial and physical benefits in addition to standard medical care. SEARCH METHODS Studies were identified from two Cochrane trials registers (Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group; Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Group), Ovid MEDLINE and PsychINFO; unpublished trials were located through professional networks and Listserves. Most recent search of the Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group's register: 19 December 2013.Most recent search of the Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Group's register: 12 November 2013. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised controlled studies of a broad range of psychological interventions evaluating subjective and objective health outcomes, such as quality of life or pulmonary function, in individuals of all ages with cystic fibrosis and their immediate family. We were interested in psychological interventions, including psychological methods within the scope of psychotherapeutic or psychosomatic mechanism of action (e.g. cognitive behavioural, cognitive, family systems or systemic, psycho-dynamic, or other, e.g. supportive, relaxation, or biofeedback), which were aimed at improving psychological and psychosocial outcomes (e.g. quality of life, levels of stress or distress, psychopathology, etc.), adaptation to disease management and physiological outcomes. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Three authors were involved in selecting the eligible studies and two of these authors assessed their risk of bias. MAIN RESULTS The review includes 16 studies (eight new studies included in this update) representing data from 556 participants. Studies are diverse in their design and their methods. They cover interventions with generic approaches, as well as interventions developed specifically to target disease-specific symptoms and problems in people with cystic fibrosis. These include cognitive behavioural interventions to improve adherence to nutrition or psychosocial adjustment, cognitive interventions to improve adherence or those associated with decision making in lung transplantation, a community-based support intervention and other interventions, such as self-hypnosis, respiratory muscle biofeedback, music therapy, dance and movement therapy, and a tele-medicine intervention to support patients awaiting transplantation.A substantial proportion of outcomes relate to adherence, changes in physical status or other specific treatment concerns during the chronic phase of the disease.There is some evidence that behavioural interventions targeting nutrition and growth in children (4 to 12 years) with cystic fibrosis are effective in the short term. Evidence was found that providing a structured decision-making tool for patients considering lung transplantation improves patients' knowledge of and expectations about the transplant, and reduces decisional conflict in the short term. One study about training in biofeedback-assisted breathing demonstrated some evidence that it improved some lung function measurements. Currently there is insufficient evidence for interventions aimed at other aspects of the disease process. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Currently, insufficient evidence exists on psychological interventions or approaches to support people with cystic fibrosis and their caregivers, although some of the studies were promising. Due to the heterogeneity between studies, more of each type of intervention are needed to support preliminary evidence. Multicentre studies, with consequent funding implications, are needed to increase the sample size of these studies and enhance the statistical power and precision to detect important findings. In addition, multicentre studies could improve the generalisation of results by minimizing centre or therapist effects. Psychological interventions should be targeted to illness-specific symptoms or behaviours to demonstrate efficacy.
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The efficacy of resiliency training programs: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.
Leppin, AL, Bora, PR, Tilburt, JC, Gionfriddo, MR, Zeballos-Palacios, C, Dulohery, MM, Sood, A, Erwin, PJ, Brito, JP, Boehmer, KR, et al
PloS one. 2014;(10):e111420
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Poor mental health places a burden on individuals and populations. Resilient persons are able to adapt to life's challenges and maintain high quality of life and function. Finding effective strategies to bolster resilience in individuals and populations is of interest to many stakeholders. OBJECTIVES To synthesize the evidence for resiliency training programs in improving mental health and capacity in 1) diverse adult populations and 2) persons with chronic diseases. DATA SOURCES Electronic databases, clinical trial registries, and bibliographies. We also contacted study authors and field experts. STUDY SELECTION Randomized trials assessing the efficacy of any program intended to enhance resilience in adults and published after 1990. No restrictions were made based on outcome measured or comparator used. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS Reviewers worked independently and in duplicate to extract study characteristics and data. These were confirmed with authors. We conducted a random effects meta-analysis on available data and tested for interaction in planned subgroups. MAIN OUTCOMES The standardized mean difference (SMD) effect of resiliency training programs on 1) resilience/hardiness, 2) quality of life/well-being, 3) self-efficacy/activation, 4) depression, 5) stress, and 6) anxiety. RESULTS We found 25 small trials at moderate to high risk of bias. Interventions varied in format and theoretical approach. Random effects meta-analysis showed a moderate effect of generalized stress-directed programs on enhancing resilience [pooled SMD 0.37 (95% CI 0.18, 0.57) p = .0002; I2 = 41%] within 3 months of follow up. Improvement in other outcomes was favorable to the interventions and reached statistical significance after removing two studies at high risk of bias. Trauma-induced stress-directed programs significantly improved stress [-0.53 (-1.04, -0.03) p = .03; I2 = 73%] and depression [-0.51 (-0.92, -0.10) p = .04; I2 = 61%]. CONCLUSIONS We found evidence warranting low confidence that resiliency training programs have a small to moderate effect at improving resilience and other mental health outcomes. Further study is needed to better define the resilience construct and to design interventions specific to it. REGISTRATION NUMBER PROSPERO #CRD42014007185.
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The therapeutic process in psychological treatments for eating disorders: a systematic review.
Brauhardt, A, de Zwaan, M, Hilbert, A
The International journal of eating disorders. 2014;(6):565-84
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OBJECTIVE For eating disorders, a vast number of investigations have demonstrated the efficacy of psychological treatments. However, evidence supporting the impact of therapeutic process aspects on outcome (i.e., process-outcome research) has not been disentangled. METHOD Using the Generic Model of Psychotherapy (GMP) to organize various process aspects, a systematic literature search was conducted on psychological treatment studies for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and eating disorders not otherwise specified. RESULTS Improved outcomes resulted for family-based treatment compared to individual treatment, for individual compared to group treatment, booster sessions, and positive patient expectations (GMP contract aspect); for nutritional counseling and exercising but not exposure with response prevention as adjunct interventions (therapeutic operations); for highly motivated patients and, to a lesser extent, for therapeutic alliance (therapeutic bond); as well as for rapid response and longer overall treatment duration (temporal patterns). Regarding other GMP aspects, studies on self-relatedness were completely lacking and in-session impacts were rarely investigated. DISCUSSION As most studies assessed only a limited number of process aspects, the ability to draw conclusions about their overall impact regarding outcome is rather limited. Therefore, future process-outcome research is needed beyond investigations of treatment efficacy for eating disorders.
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Perplexities of treatment resistance in eating disorders.
Halmi, KA
BMC psychiatry. 2013;:292
Abstract
BACKGROUND Treatment resistance is an omnipresent frustration in eating disorders. Attempts to identify the features of this resistance and subsequently develop novel treatments have had modest effects. This selective review examines treatment resistant features expressed in core eating disorder psychopathology, comorbidities and biological features. Novel treatments addressing resistance are discussed. DESCRIPTION The core eating disorder psychopathology of anorexia nervosa becomes a coping mechanism likely via vulnerable neurobiological features and conditioned learning to deal with life events. Thus it is reinforcing and ego syntonic resulting in resistance to treatment. The severity of core features such as preoccupations with body image, weight, eating and exercising predicts greater resistance to treatment. Bulimia nervosa patients are less resistant to treatment with treatment failure related to greater body image concerns, impulsivity, depression, severe diet restriction and poor social adjustment. For those with binge eating disorder overweight in childhood and high emotional eating predicts treatment resistance. There is suggestive data that a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder and severe perfectionism may confer treatment resistance in anorexia nervosa and substance use disorders or personality disorders with impulse control problems may produce resistance to treatment in bulimia nervosa. Traits such as perfectionism, cognitive inflexibility and negative affect with likely genetic influences may also affect treatment resistance. Pharmacotherapy and novel therapies have been developed to address treatment resistance. Atypical antipsychotic drugs have shown some effect in treatment resistant anorexia nervosa and topiramate and high doses of SSRIs are helpful for treatment of resistant binge eating disorder patients. There are insufficient randomized controlled trials to evaluate the novel psychotherapies which are primarily based on the core psychopathological features of the eating disorders. CONCLUSION Treatment resistance in eating disorders is usually predicted by the severity of the core eating disorder psychopathology which develops from an interaction between environmental risk factors with genetic traits and a vulnerable neurobiology. Future investigations of the biological features and neurocircuitry of the core eating disorders psychopathology and behaviors may provide information for more successful treatment interventions.
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Psychosocial factors and behavioral medicine interventions in asthma.
Ritz, T, Meuret, AE, Trueba, AF, Fritzsche, A, von Leupoldt, A
Journal of consulting and clinical psychology. 2013;(2):231-50
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OBJECTIVE This review examines the evidence for psychosocial influences in asthma and behavioral medicine approaches to its treatment. METHOD We conducted a systematic review of the literature on psychosocial influences and the evidence for behavioral interventions in asthma with a focus on research in the past 10 years and clinical trials. Additional attention was directed at promising new developments in the field. RESULTS Psychosocial factors can influence the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of asthma, either directly through autonomic, endocrine, immunological, and central nervous system mechanisms or indirectly through lifestyle factors, health behaviors, illness cognitions, and disease management, including medication adherence and trigger avoidance. The recent decade has witnessed surging interest in behavioral interventions that target the various pathways of influence. Among these, self-management training, breathing training, and exercise or physical activation programs have proved particularly useful, whereas other essential or promising interventions, such as smoking cessation, dietary programs, perception and biofeedback training, and suggestive or expressive psychotherapy, require further, more rigorous evaluation. Given the high comorbidity with anxiety and mood disorders, further evaluation of illness-specific cognitive behavior therapy is of particular importance. Progress has also been made in devising community-based and culturally tailored intervention programs. CONCLUSION In concert with an essential medication treatment, behavioral medicine treatment of asthma is moving closer toward an integrated biopsychosocial approach to disease management.