Leiden University Student Repository

Rust, Anne (2021)

Involuntary vs voluntary anorexia-treatment: The effect of type treatment on BMI

Master thesis | Psychology (MSc)

Introduction: Reluctance is an important factor in treating patients with severe anorexia. Sometimes the pursuit of weight-loss gets so out of control that somatic values drop to become life threatening. In that case, involuntary treatment can be imposed, raising the question whether a treatment with resistance can be effective. In this study, an involuntary treatment group was compared with a voluntary group in terms of growth in BMI. Additionally, this study examined the relation between personal characteristics and BMI over time. Method: 31 patients participated who were currently being treated in an inpatients program. Quantitative data such as BMI, age, resistance, feeding-tube administration and history of admissions was collected from both groups. The collected data was analyzed through a multi-regression analysis. Results: The groups differ in BMI growth; the voluntary patients gain more weight in the early stages of admission, however it is the involuntary group who takes...Show moreIntroduction: Reluctance is an important factor in treating patients with severe anorexia. Sometimes the pursuit of weight-loss gets so out of control that somatic values drop to become life threatening. In that case, involuntary treatment can be imposed, raising the question whether a treatment with resistance can be effective. In this study, an involuntary treatment group was compared with a voluntary group in terms of growth in BMI. Additionally, this study examined the relation between personal characteristics and BMI over time. Method: 31 patients participated who were currently being treated in an inpatients program. Quantitative data such as BMI, age, resistance, feeding-tube administration and history of admissions was collected from both groups. The collected data was analyzed through a multi-regression analysis. Results: The groups differ in BMI growth; the voluntary patients gain more weight in the early stages of admission, however it is the involuntary group who takes the lead in a later phase. Furthermore, it has been found that the BMI growth curve of patients who receive nutrition from a feeding-tube rise faster compared to patients who eat naturally and involuntary patients experience more resistance to recovery. However, that does not mean that scoring high on resistance equals less effective recovery. Discussion: This study suggests that involuntary treatment may be effective when a situation has become dire. Although there are negative sides, such as disrespecting autonomy and damaging the client-therapist relationship, patients can often reflect the importance of treatment afterwards. Further long-term research needs to be done to determine whether any future relapses play a role in recovery.Show less

Author

Rust, Anne

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Specialisation

Clinical Psychology

Supervisors

Molendijk, M.
Van Furth, E.
De Rover, M.

ECTS Credits

20

Language

en