The Place of Family Therapy in the Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa

Abstract

There has been widespread, uncritical support for family therapy as the treatment of choice for all anorexia nervosa patients since Minuchin's report in 1976, but recent research has not been able to validate Minuchin's theories about the functioning of anorexia nervosa families. In the only controlled trial to date, the efficacy of family therapy was found to be superior to that of individual therapy, but only in younger patients. Selection factors for family therapy in the treatment of anorexia norvosa are illustrated by a report on 23 consecutive referrals to an eating disorder clinic. Although knowledge of the patient's family was an essential part of the assessment for all patients, and nuclear family sessions were considered to be highly desirable for all patients, in only six instances was nuclear family therapy a major component of treatment. These patients were mainly younger, had a recent onset of illness and lived in an intact nuclear family with co-operative parents.