Anorexia Nervosa: Treatment Expectations

This article discusses the expectations of anorexic patients seeking treatment for anorexia nervosa. It explores the importance of professional and personal qualities in the treatment process and highlights the need for open discussion about patient expectations.

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Anorexia nervosa: treatment expectations
Introduction
The anorexia nervosa has been identified as a serious illness that has a high mortality rate yet
there is no improved mechanism indicating the treatment of the disorder (Paulson-Karlsson &
Nevonen, 2012). Most of the times patients with the disorder will strive for thinness in order to
access the maximum self-control and an ambivalent capability towards the treatment and entire
change. The research was conducted to aid in the understanding of patients' situation when
affected by the anorexia nervosa (Paulson-Karlsson & Nevonen,2012).The aim of the research
was to examine the expectations of the anorexic victims when looking for treatment in
standardized units related to specialized eating disorder cases in society. Generally, the research
on eating disorders is an area which should be carried out on a daily basis, unfortunately, we
have rare research relate to the disorder. The background information relates with the different
studies which have used patients with different eating disorders and researched treatments
applied to patients. The results of studies clearly indicate how people with anorexia disorders
expects much treatments from specialized doctors. Most of these patients prefer to get treatment
from experts who will give guidance on how to protect the anorexia disease and how to control
one's emotions when affected by the anorexia nervosa. Researchers argue that experiencing
adequate advice on the diet to take and also considering personal qualities such as empathetic,
are some of the factors which aids on the treatment of the disorder. Therefore, the paper will
discuss the findings obtained by the authors of the research.
The issue of anorexia nervosa was clearly addressed by Gunilla and Lauri 2012.The two authors
carried out a qualitative study on treatment expectations for anorexia nervosa. They method used

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included study on 15 women of the age between 18 to 25 year old. The group was assessed
before treatment and results analyzed and table as revealed by the research article. The question
of the research was, what do you expect, now that you are on the waiting list for a specialized
eating disorder unit? In the research, the method used included content analysis during the study.
The text was coded and categorized relevant to the contents obtained from the participants and
the interpretations were based on themes of the study. The study shows how participants were
interviewed on single occasion whereby the interview took 30 to 40 minutes. The study was
approved by the Regional Ethics Committee in Sweden (Schmidt, Startup & Treasure,
2018). The participants were asked to speak openly about their feelings about the topic of the
study. After the interview which was to last for 30 days patients were offered cognitive
behavioral therapy that would aid in the research.
The results obtained from the study revealed that there were approximately three categories of
what was expected by the participants in the research. The categories anticipated by the patients
were treatment content, the treatment professionals and the treatment focus of the study. In
treatment professionals category of the results, there were two subtopics which were identified
that is the professional qualities and the personal qualities on dealing with the treatment of the
disorder. According to American Psychiatric Association (2013) the professional qualities
affirmed that all the experts were aware of what they were doing when treating the patients while
the personal qualities indicated how participants wanted from the experts on how they will treat
the disorder. In the category of treatment focus, there were behavioral issues related to eating, the
physical issues, and psychological aspects. All the sub-categories explained the change

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anticipated by the patients in the study. The last category that is overall theme accounted on how
expectations were to be met by participants.
In addition, the discussion of the study shows the real application of the research. There were
results associated with the theme of study whereby the theme described how participants from
the study anticipated the fulfillment of their expectations. The research shows that patient's
expectations on the issue related to eating behavior, the distorted thoughts and professional
knowledge on the disorder were to be discussed before the major treatment was to be conducted.
Also, the results reveal that the therapeutic relationship was essential and it could help in
understanding the personal motives which were behind the patients' expectations on the
treatment of the disorder (Westmoreland, Krantz & Mehler, 2016).
In conclusion, the participants with the anorexic disease revealed that their expectations on the
disease were multifaceted and they had a positive attitude on the treatment of the disorder. The
question of the study was clearly described the three categories identified in the research that is
the treatment content, the treatment focus and the treatment professionals of the study (Treasure
& Schmidt, 2013). The theme of the study was also fulfilled whereby the psychological and the
emotional issue were supportive of the therapeutic relationship. Therefore the expectations of the
patients should be discussed so as to prevent the spread of anorexia nervosa.

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References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental
disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Paulson-Karlsson, G., & Nevonen, L. (2012). Anorexia nervosa: treatment expectations–a
qualitative study. Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare, 5, 169.
Schmidt, U., Startup, H., & Treasure, J. (2018). A Cognitive-Interpersonal Therapy Workbook
for Treating Anorexia Nervosa: The Maudsley Model 6th edition. Harvard University Press
Cambridge
Treasure, J., & Schmidt, U. (2013). The cognitive-interpersonal maintenance model of anorexia
nervosa revisited: a summary of the evidence for cognitive, socio-emotional and interpersonal
predisposing and perpetuating factors. Journal of eating disorders, 1(1), 13.
Westmoreland, P., Krantz, M. J., & Mehler, P. S. (2016). Medical complications of anorexia
nervosa and bulimia. The American journal of medicine, 129(1), 30-37.

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Appendix
The research analyzed is from this article
Paulson-Karlsson, G., & Nevonen, L. (2012). Anorexia nervosa: treatment expectations–a
qualitative study. Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare, 5, 169.