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Good outcome of adolescent onset anorexia nervosa after systematic treatment

Intermediate to long-term follow-up of a representative county-sample

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Abstract.

We studied the intermediate to long-term outcome of childhood and adolescent onset anorexia nervosa (AN), in a sample that had received systematic treatment based on close cooperation between parents, paediatric department and child and adolescent psychiatry. Of 55 female AN-patients, 51 were examined 3.5–14.5 years after treatment start. The material includes all AN-patients under 18 years in one county that received inpatient treatment and almost all that received outpatient treatment, during the time period 1986–1998.

Forty-two (82 %) subjects had no eating disorder (ED) at follow-up, one (2 %) had AN, one (2 %) bulimia nervosa (BN) and seven (14%) had less severe ED (EDNOS). Except the one with BN, none had bulimic symptoms. There was no mortality. Twenty (41%) had one or more other axis-1 psychiatric diagnoses at follow-up. Depression and anxiety disorders were most frequent. Psychosocial functioning assessed by Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) was fairly good; mean 73±SD14 for symptoms and mean 77±SD13 for functioning. Only 48% were satisfied with life, compared to 83% in a normal population sample. Our conclusion is that the eating disorder outcome was good. However, in accordance with other studies, many subjects had other psychiatric problems at follow-up.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Buskerud Hospital, 3004, Drammen, Norway

    Inger Halvorsen

  2. Regional Centre for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Region East and South, 23 Tåsen, 0801, Oslo, Norway

    Anne Andersen & Sonja Heyerdahl

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  1. Inger Halvorsen
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  2. Anne Andersen
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  3. Sonja Heyerdahl
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Correspondence to Inger Halvorsen.

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Halvorsen, I., Andersen, A. & Heyerdahl, S. Good outcome of adolescent onset anorexia nervosa after systematic treatment. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 13, 295–306 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-004-0408-9

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