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Published on: August 21, 2015
Understanding the eating-disordered patient: engaging the concrete
1Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Adelphi University, Garden City, New York.
Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic
|January 1, 1991
Summary
Anorexia treatment faces challenges due to patients' concrete focus on food and weight. Accepting this concrete attitude in early psychotherapy can prevent impasses and improve outcomes for anorexia nervosa patients.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Background:
- Anorexia nervosa patients often exhibit a concrete attitude, focusing intensely on food and weight.
- This concrete thinking presents significant obstacles in initiating psychotherapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To clarify the concept of the "concrete attitude" in anorexia nervosa.
- To present a psychotherapy approach that accommodates this concrete attitude.
- To illustrate how accepting this limitation can improve treatment.
Main Methods:
- Case study of a 14-year-old female patient with anorexia nervosa.
- Qualitative analysis of the therapeutic process and patient's cognitive style.
Main Results:
- Acceptance of the patient's concrete attitude reduced the likelihood of therapeutic impasses.
- Understanding and working within the patient's "limitations" enhanced the overall treatment process.
Conclusions:
- Therapists should acknowledge and accept the concrete attitude of anorexia nervosa patients, particularly early in treatment.
- This acceptance can facilitate therapeutic engagement and improve treatment efficacy.
- A modified therapeutic approach is crucial for overcoming initial treatment barriers in anorexia nervosa.
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