Clinical features of patients with anorexia nervosa and necessity of inpatient treatment

Abstract

Introduction Anorexia nervosa is a serious illness associated with a chronic course and high mortality. Follow-up studies in this population show great variability in prognosis, and inpatient treatment is frequently needed. Objectives This study aimed to examine association between different clinical variables of patients with anorexia nervosa and the need of inpatient treatment, as a way to investigate possible predictors of severity of illness. Methods Descriptive, longitudinal, retrospective study of all patients with a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, with a first psychiatric appointment in a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department at a major university hospital, between 2009 and 2013. Clinical variables were compared based on the need of inpatient treatment in the first year after initial psychiatric appointment. Clinical data were collected from individual medical records. Statistic analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 21. Results Eight-five patients with anorexia nervosa were evaluated. In the first year after the initial psychiatric appointment, 47.1% of the sample received inpatient treatment. There were no statistical significant differences between groups for any of the clinical variables assessed: gender, age at onset of disease, body mass index at first psychiatric appointment, duration of illness at first psychiatric appointment, personal history of obesity, psychiatric comorbid conditions and family history of an eating disorder. Conclusions No associations were found between the clinical variables assessed and the treatment setting. Further investigation is needed in order to identify other variables that may play a role in the course of anorexia nervosa in adolescent patients.