Eating disorders

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is very stressful for sufferers and their families. Treatment is a major challenge for both therapists and families, as a significant proportion of those affected show little motivation for treatment. Family-based treatment (FBT) is currently the most effective form of outpatient therapy for the treatment of eating disorders in children and adolescents, but there are still many cases where inpatient treatment is required and where the forms of therapy currently available are inadequate.

The eating disorders research group at the KJPP PUK (headed by KD Dr. Dagmar Pauli and Nicole Besse) is investigating additive treatment components to improve the effectiveness of FBT. In a pilot study, the feasibility, acceptance and additional treatment effects on weight gain through the use of specialized home treatment (HT) as a supplement to FBT in adolescents with anorexia nervosa were investigated and confirmed.  A randomized controlled trial (RCT) is currently being conducted (with support from the Paul Peter Alden Foundation) comparing standard FBT with combinations of FBT and HT, as well as FBT and mindfulness-based stress reduction training. In a further study, the cost-effectiveness of HT as an add-on to FBT is being investigated.

A further study examines the equivalence of an electronic recording modality of the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) with the interview form of this instrument. In this way, our research work makes a contribution to the digitalization of established measurement instruments.

At the KJPP PUK, trialogue evenings are held in a multi-family setting for families in which adolescents are affected by eating disorders. An evaluation study is looking at the effects of the trialogue evenings on family dynamics and treatment satisfaction in the context of eating disorder treatment