IB Psychology HL - Abnormal - Evaluate Treatments Of Anorexia

• usually uses medications to alter activity of neurotransmitters in the brain

• assumes that biological changes can improve psychological conditions

• assumes that the cause of the problem is biological and therefore the solution should also be biological

• antidepressant drugs are frequently used to treat anorexia and depression

• anorexia because eating disorder patients frequently suffer comorbidity (multiple disorders), often with depression

• before focusing on medication, weight gains are prioritized – this involves attaching the patient to a drip

• after this the patient needs to be encouraged to eat normally again – this can be achieved through the use of individual therapies

• sometimes suggested that anorexia is a form of anxiety disorder or depression, and anorexia generally occurs along with other disorders (comorbidity)

• so the use of medication help prevent the kind of emotional state that precedes relapses

Bowers (2002):

• recommends CBT to treat anorexia

• recognizes that neither a physician, a psychotherapist nor a dietician can deal with an anorexia patient alone

• CBT can help the individual to understand that their thought processes and belief systems are causing problems, and to help change them

• CBT aims to change negative self-statements like, (e.g. “I’ll never be thin enough”) and basic assumptions that are generally fixed and resistant to change (e.g. high personal expectations)

• this involves changing cognitive schemata, so it’s essential to spend time talking with the patient to establish what the content of these schemata are

ideally, the patient should: identify their thoughts about these areas → be challenged to produce evidence to support their ideas → be encouraged to come up with alternatives to negative but persistent thoughts

• generally has good outcomes

• relapse is relatively unusual

• attempts to address the thoughts at the core of the problem (thus nipping it in the bud)

certain target behaviours are reinforced with rewards (personalized to the patient)

• more likely for relapse to occur

• as the core problems behind the disorder were not addressed

• necessary for the patient to have internalized the reward process, or have strong support from family or friends, as the reward system is likely to be neglected

• family is trained to provide support to the sufferer

• allows the entire family to benefit from therapy to change their communication styles

• some models of causation propose that mother-daughter interactions contribute to development of the disorder

• so learning more effective ways to communicate is beneficial for many family members

• very common form of treatment

• helps inpatients to get better, and helps outpatients by preventing relapse

• more cost-effective than individual therapy

• offers the opportunity for group members to interact with others who are at different stages in dealing with the disorder

• these interactions provide hope for those in the early stages, and confirmation of progress + increased self esteem for those who are successful

Polivy (1981):

• being in a group of other anorexic patients may lead to the development of a new identity based on group membership

• thus the patient may require individual therapy to help carve out an independent identity

• members of the group may teach each other (not necessarily intentionally) strategies to avoid weight gain or hide weight loss