Motivation to recover for adolescent and adult eating disorder patients in residential treatment

April 13, 2021

European Eating Disorders Review

By Philip S. Mehler, MD, FACP, FAED, CEDS

Objective

This study aimed to assess how baseline motivation to recover impacts eating disorder (ED) and comorbid symptoms at end-of-treatment (EOT) for adolescents and adults in inpatient/residential treatment.

Method

Two hundred and three adolescent (M = 15.90) and 395 adult (M = 25.45) patients with a Diagnostic Statistical Manual, 5th edition ED diagnosis completed the Decisional Balance Scale (DBS) at baseline, and psychosocial measures (ED symptoms, anxiety, depression, obsessive–compulsive disorder symptoms), and %body mass index (kg/m²; BMI) or median %BMI (for adolescents) at baseline and EOT.

Results

The DBS Avoidance Coping and Burdens subscales at baseline were significantly lower for adolescents than adults (p < 0.001), whereas the DBS Benefits subscale at baseline did not significantly differ between subsamples (p = 0.06). Motivation to recover via DBS subscales was a more reliable predictor of EOT outcomes for both ED and comorbid psychopathology in adults (significant predictor in 19 of 54 total analyses, and 4 significant associations post-Bonferroni correction) than adolescents (significant predictor in 5 of 54 total analyses, and 1 significant association post-Bonferroni correction).

Conclusions

Baseline motivation to recover may be an important predictor of outcome for adult patients in inpatient/residential treatment but does not appear associated with outcomes for adolescent patients.

DOI:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/erv.2828?af=R

Written by

Philip S. Mehler, MD, FACP, FAED, CEDS

Dr. Mehler founded ACUTE Center for Eating Disorders & Severe Malnutrition in 2001. He began his career at Denver Health more than 35 years ago and was formerly its Chief of Internal Medicine and…

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