Long-Term Course and Relapse Prevention in the Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa

Abstract

Although the problem of relapse in the treatment of anorexia nervosa hasbeen well documented, there has been a paucity of clinical researchaimed at developing and evaluating treatment interventions specificallyaimed at relapse prevention. In the present study, cognitive behavioraltherapy (CBT) was compared to a baseline standard of care that consistedof medical management and nutritional counseling. Findings from thisstudy indicated that CBT was more effective in preventing relapse forindividuals who had been hospitalized before participating in thisoutpatient trial. Overall, individuals in CBT achieved a moresatisfactory level of functioning during the year of outpatienttreatment. These data provide empirical support for CBT in the relapseprevention of anorexia nervosa. Future efforts aimed at the developmentand evaluation of additional relapse prevention treatments offer thepotential to further improve the long-term outcome of individuals withanorexia nervosa.