Distance to home does not influence treatment success during and after inpatient treatment in adolescents with anorexia nervosa

Current treatment guidelines recommend that inpatients with eating disorders-particularly adolescents with anorexia nervosa-should receive treatment at facilities within close distance to their home. However, whether distance to home actually influences short- and long-term treatment outcome in adolescents with anorexia nervosa has not been investigated yet. We re-analyzed data at admission, discharge, and 1-year follow up from a recent study with N = 142 female, adolescent inpatients with anorexia nervosa. Distance to home did not moderate changes in body weight, eating disorder symptoms, depressive symptoms, compulsive exercise, and life satisfaction. This is the first analysis that indicates that specialized inpatient treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa is effective both close to and away from home.

Automated summary

Current treatment guidelines recommend that inpatients with eating disorders, especially adolescents with anorexia nervosa, should receive treatment at facilities close to their home. However, the impact of distance from home on the treatment outcome of adolescents with anorexia nervosa has not been investigated. This study analyzed data from 142 female adolescent inpatients with anorexia nervosa and found that distance to home did not affect treatment outcomes.