Effectiveness of a multimodal inpatient treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa in comparison with adults: an analysis of a specialized inpatient setting

Objective There is evidence for an increased prevalence and an earlier onset of anorexia nervosa (AN) in adolescents. Early specialized treatment may improve prognosis and decrease the risk of a chronic course. The current study evaluates the effectiveness of a multimodal inpatient treatment for adolescent AN patients treated in a highly specialized eating disorder unit for adults. Method 177 adolescents and 1,064 adult patients were included. The evaluation focused on eating behavior, depressive symptoms and general psychopathology. Results All measured variables decreased significantly in both groups during inpatient treatment. No differences were found concerning weight gain, improvement of global eating disorder symptomatology as well as depressive symptoms. However, adults showed a higher psychological distress and in this regard also a greater improvement. Conclusion Results indicate that treating adolescent AN patients in a highly specialized eating disorder unit for adults can be an effective treatment setting for these patients.