Eating disorders are increasingly prevalent forms of mental health conditions, affecting many adolescents, as well as older adults and children. The amount or types of treatment that an individual is offered typically depends on a range of factors, including one's location, health insurance, gender, age, form of eating disorder and finances.
As a result, patients may often have to leave treatment long before they are either physically or emotionally ready, leading to a far greater risk of relapse.
What is an Eating Disorder Relapse?
The definition of an eating disorder relapse sometimes varies from treatment centre to insurance policy to therapist or psychiatrist, thus making it very difficult to gain a true picture from and compare various research studies on the subject. A relapse is basically when following effective treatment, a person's eating disorder symptoms begin to reappear and his or her condition begins to deteriorate.
An example of relapse for anorexia is when a patient who has restored weight in treatment begins to lose weight, restrict food, or over-exercise. In the case of bulimia, one may notice signs of purging such as marks on knuckles or frequent trips to the bathroom.
Relapse Rates for Anorexia and Bulimia
According to follow-up studies, relapse rates for adolescents suffering from anorexia who have been treated in hospital typically range from between 30% to 50%, with some as alarmingly high as 70%. Research also indicates that the longer the anorexia sufferer is able to maintain a healthy target weight-band, then the lower the risk is for relapse.
Relapse rates for adolescents suffering from bulimia are similar to those with anorexia, with usually about 30% being affected.
Relapse Prevention for Anorexia and Bulimia
As previously indicated, if an anorexia sufferer is able to maintain the weight that has been restored during hospitalisation for a period of around a year following discharge, the risk of losing the weight substantially decreases. Therefore, it is absolutely vital that sufferers continue to be monitored in order for on-going recovery to be sustained.
For both anorexia and bulimia patients, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been recognised as an effective form of treatment, in addition to being helpful in terms of relapse prevention. While the use of medication has long since been identified as effective for adult sufferers of bulimia, more research is needed to identify whether younger patients may benefit from antidepressant medication.
The most important issue regarding relapse prevention is the ability to recognise the warning signs, as early on as possible, before the eating disorder has become too ingrained. Thus, it is crucial that all those working with young people, including teachers, coaches, youth workers, as well as parents, relatives and older siblings, are aware of the specific signs.
Clearly, more research is required in order to identify the most effective approaches to eating disorder relapse prevention. While relapse rates for both anorexia and bulimia are alarmingly high, it is important to recognise that the earlier these conditions are arrested, the more likely that treatment outcomes will be successful.
Source:
Walsh, T. & Cameron, V. (2005) If Your Adolescent Has An Eating Disorder Oxford University Press
Kate Le Page - Kate Henning-Le Page writes about eating disorders, body image and recovery issues. She specializes in anorexia recovery.
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