Emotional and Feeding Aspects of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (Arfid): A Case Report

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the nutritional, psychological and family aspects involved in the treatment of a patient with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). Methods: Descriptive, exploratory, quali-quantitative case report. A semi-structured questionnaire, a 24-hour Dietary Recall, Body Mass Index Percentiles and the Eating Attitudes Test-26 were used to assess the dietary variables and nutritional status. Both patient‘s and mother’s psychological aspects were investigated by means of semi-structured interviews with descriptive analysis. Results: At the age of 12, patient did not eat fruits, salad and vegetables. Over two years of treatment, he was able to try food items from those groups and also a hypercaloric supplement. EAT-26 scored negative at the beginning and end of the treatment, however with a drop in the score. Nutritional status showed entropy in both occasions, but the final curve was closer to Percentile 50. The mother’s initial difficulties in respecting her son’s attempts towards autonomy were managed in psychological group meetings, which helped her to lower her anxieties and to stop overloading her son’s emotional development, which contributed to improve his relationship with food. Conclusion: Improvement in the relationship with food showed that the treatment was effective, and that family has an important role in (re)building healthy eating habits.