Psychological Treatments for Children and Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa in South Korea: A Retrospective Study

Despite the increasing prevalence of anorexia nervosa (AN) in Asia, standardized treatments are lacking in South Korea. This study examined the feasibility and effectiveness of evidence-based psychological treatments for AN in Korean children and adolescents.

This retrospective study included outpatients diagnosed with AN, aged <18 years, who received either family-based treatment (FBT; n=102) or specialist supportive clinical management (SSCM; n=43). Feasibility was measured using dropout rates, and effectiveness was assessed using outcome variables, including changes in body mass index (BMI) and eating disorder (ED) pathology, using an intention-to-treat approach.

The mean dropout rate was 41%, and the mean BMI increase was 2.76 kg/m². Overall, there were no differences between the treatment groups in terms of the dropout rate or outcomes, except for the frequency of starvation. SSCM group exhibited greater reductions in starvation frequency (F(1,139)=4.80, p=0.030, η_p ²=0.034) with a small effect size. Lower BMI and higher ED psychopathology at baseline were associated with a greater BMI increase at the end of treatment.

These results suggest that both FBT and SSCM are feasible and effective for Korean children and adolescents with AN. Notably, SSCM may be more effective in individuals who frequently starved. Further controlled trials are needed to examine the effectiveness and improve treatment retention by incorporating cultural considerations.