Anorexia nervosa. Treatment and triggering factors.

In the period from 1976 to 1983, 84 anorexia nervosa (AN) patients were treated in the Medical and Child Psychiatry Units of the University Hospital of Bergen. Five were men, 79 women. The criteria used for diagnosis are DSM-III (1) A,B,D and E, but not C. All the patients in this study were treated according to the methods of Bassøe & Eskeland (2) and Bassøe (3) in order to give the patients the necessary insight into the pathophysiology of hunger and to inform them about the symptoms. Those of the patients with personal problems connected with their family or social milieu were given help through therapeutic discussions. However, we stressed that very sick patients should not be put under any pressure to undergo this treatment. I will describe the treatment we employed and the results obtained. It was found to be of great importance that the patients received treatment in the early stages of the condition. Also that the patient, as a part of the prophylaxis of the condition, was informed about the dangers of slimming. A short survey of other methods of treatment found in the literature is given. My conclusion is that AN is triggered by a combination of genetic disposition plus some kind of stress followed by a primary weightloss.