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Effective treatment of eating disorders in Europe: treatment outcome and its predictors
Author(s) -
Richard Matthias
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
european eating disorders review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.511
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1099-0968
pISSN - 1072-4133
DOI - 10.1002/erv.636
Subject(s) - eating disorders , anorexia nervosa , bulimia nervosa , logistic regression , psychiatry , anorexia , outcome (game theory) , psychology , medicine , clinical psychology , mathematics , mathematical economics
This paper reports results from the European collaboration COST Action B6 concerning the effectiveness of services for eating‐disordered patients delivered under routine conditions in Europe. The symptomatic status of roughly 2000 patients from 12 European countries was measured at the beginning and end of psychotherapeutic treatment as well as 1 year after start of treatment. The outcome rates are presented and the relationship between amount of treatment, treatment setting, patient characteristics and effectiveness is analysed by logistic regression. Also, risk factors for the mid‐term course of the disorders are identified. The results show an overall success rate (across countries) of between 30 and 40% for anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) at end of treatment and 1‐year follow‐up. There were pronounced differences between countries. Longer treatment duration was associated with higher success rates at end of treatment but not with mid‐term outcome after 1 year. Risk factors for mid‐term outcome for AN as well as BN include variables that indicate a higher level of chronicity, e.g. age, or symptom severity. The implications of these results for treatment planning are discussed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.