Eating disorders in adolescence

Primary anorexia nervosa presents with severe disorder of eating behaviour occuring predominantly in young women. The aetiology is unknown and treatment ranges from psychoanalysis to leucotomy. Management is difficult because of the patient's inability to accept traditional methods of psychiatric treatment and also because of family attitudes which result in perpetuation of the condition. Because it was noted in a study of patients suffering from anorexia nervosa that response to conventional methods of psychiatric treatment was limited, further investigations were made: (1) A comparative study of 12 patients with anorexia nervosa and 12 patients suffering from psychoneurotic illness was made. Patients were matched for age and intelligence. (2) The fact that significant differences emerged indicated that the concept of anorexia nervosa as a psychoneurotic condition was in question. (3) Group therapy, recently introduced, is mentioned.