Bringing in Family to Combat Anorexia
Unlike traditional treatments for anorexia nervosa in adolescents, in which the patient sees the therapist one on one, this kind of family-based treatment encourages parents to play a pivotal role in restoring their childs weight while trying to avoid hospitalizations .
Now a new study by Dr. Le Grange, of the University of Chicago, reports that the family approach, called the Maudsley method after the London hospital where it was developed, not only is more effective than individual therapy but also keeps working even after the treatment ends. Twelve months after the treatment had ended, 49 percent of those who had been in family therapy were in full remission, more than double the 23 percent of those who had been in individual therapy.
At one of the first sessions of the Maudsley method, the therapist sits in on a family meal to observe the dynamics, Dr. Le Grange said. Everyone in the family has a role: siblings are instructed to clear out once they are finished eating, “not jump up and yell at their sister for not eating or yell at the parent.”
Unlike traditional approaches, the Maudsley method “says we don’t think the parents are to blame for the problem,” Dr. Le Grange said. “We think they’re part of the solution, and should be center stage.” Their job is to be calm, supportive and consistent.
Bringing in Family to Combat Anorexia, Roni Caryn Rabin, The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/19/health/research/19anorexia.html
Maudsley Parents Eating Disorder Solutions http://www.maudsleyparents.org/,
