Abnormal - evaluate treatments of anorexia

Question 1

biomedical

Answer 1

• usually uses medications to alter activity of neurotransmitters in the brain
• assumes that biological changes can improve psychological conditions
• assumes that the cause of the problem is biological and therefore the solution should also be biological

Question 2

uses of biomedical treatment

Answer 2

• antidepressant drugs are frequently used to treat anorexia and depression
• anorexia because eating disorder patients frequently suffer comorbidity (multiple disorders), often with depression

Question 3

anorexia-specific biomedical treatment

Answer 3

• before focusing on medication, weight gains are prioritized – this involves attaching the patient to a drip
• after this the patient needs to be encouraged to eat normally again – this can be achieved through the use of individual therapies
• sometimes suggested that anorexia is a form of anxiety disorder or depression, and anorexia generally occurs along with other disorders (comorbidity)
• so the use of medication help prevent the kind of emotional state that precedes relapses

Question 4

individual therapy: therapy!

Answer 4

Bowers (2002):

• recommends CBT to treat anorexia
• recognizes that neither a physician, a psychotherapist nor a dietician can deal with an anorexia patient alone
• CBT can help the individual to understand that their thought processes and belief systems are causing problems, and to help change them
• CBT aims to change negative self-statements like, (e.g. “I’ll never be thin enough”) and basic assumptions that are generally fixed and resistant to change (e.g. high personal expectations)
• this involves changing cognitive schemata, so it’s essential to spend time talking with the patient to establish what the content of these schemata are

ideally, the patient should: identify their thoughts about these areas → be challenged to produce evidence to support their ideas → be encouraged to come up with alternatives to negative but persistent thoughts

Question 5

evaluation of CBT for anorexia

Answer 5

• generally has good outcomes
• relapse is relatively unusual
• attempts to address the thoughts at the core of the problem (thus nipping it in the bud)

Question 6

individual therapy: behavioural conditioning

Answer 6

certain target behaviours are reinforced with rewards (personalized to the patient)

Question 7

individual therapy: criticism of behavioural conditioning

Answer 7

• more likely for relapse to occur
• as the core problems behind the disorder were not addressed
• necessary for the patient to have internalized the reward process, or have strong support from family or friends, as the reward system is likely to be neglected

Question 8

individual therapy: family therapy

Answer 8

• family is trained to provide support to the sufferer
• allows the entire family to benefit from therapy to change their communication styles
• some models of causation propose that mother-daughter interactions contribute to development of the disorder
• so learning more effective ways to communicate is beneficial for many family members

Question 9

group therapy

Answer 9

• very common form of treatment
• helps inpatients to get better, and helps outpatients by preventing relapse
• more cost-effective than individual therapy
• offers the opportunity for group members to interact with others who are at different stages in dealing with the disorder
• these interactions provide hope for those in the early stages, and confirmation of progress + increased self esteem for those who are successful

Question 10

criticism of group therapy

Answer 10

Polivy (1981):

• being in a group of other anorexic patients may lead to the development of a new identity based on group membership
• thus the patient may require individual therapy to help carve out an independent identity
• members of the group may teach each other (not necessarily intentionally) strategies to avoid weight gain or hide weight loss