Long‐term outcome in anorexia nervosa in the community

Objective Few studies have assessed outcomes of anorexia nervosa (AN) outside clinical settings. We aimed to assess mortality, recovery, and socio‐demographic outcomes of AN in a community sample. Method Women in the nationwide FinnTwin16 cohort (born 1975–1979) were followed for 10 years after baseline diagnostic assessment (mean age at follow‐up 34 years, N  = 2188). We compared women with lifetime DSM‐IV AN ( N  = 40) with unaffected women from the same cohort. Results None of the women with AN had died and 88% were weight‐recovered (BMI ≥ 18.5 kg/m 2 ), but their mean BMI (22.0 kg/m 2 ) was lower than among unaffected women (24.0 kg/m 2 , p  = 0.008). University degrees (38 vs. 29%, p  = 0.26), sickness absence during the past year (median 5 vs. 3 days, p  = 0.21), or unemployment or disability pension (5 vs. 4%, p  = 0.62) did not significantly differ between AN probands and their unaffected peers. More women with AN were still studying (15 vs. 4%, p  = 0.003), and half of them had children, as compared to 66% of unaffected women ( p  = 0.05). Discussion The long‐term prognosis of AN in the community appears promising. Weight‐restoration is common and socio‐demographic outcomes are generally favorable. However, women with a history of AN may be less likely to have children. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2015; 48:851–859).