| Recovered Eating Disorder Patients Express Appreciation for Forced Treatment | |
Washington, D.C. -- A new study found that the small percentage of individuals with life-threatening eating disorders who are legally forced into treatment -- a controversial practice -- respond just as favorably to treatment as those who voluntarily seek treatment. Furthermore, they expressed appreciation shortly after treatment.
The study, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Iowa College of Medicine, examined 397 patients admitted to an inpatient treatment program during a seven-year period. The results are published in the November American Journal of Psychiatry.
The involuntary patients were similar in virtually all aspects to voluntary patients, except initial willingness to be treated. However, the study did find that the hospital stay for involuntary patients was longer than the length of voluntary patients' stay.
"The majority of those involuntarily treated later affirmed the necessity of their treatment and showed goodwill toward the treatment process," the authors concluded, noting that follow-up study is needed to determine long-term effects of involuntary treatment of eating disorders.
["Involuntary Treatment of Eating Disorders," by Tureka L. Watson, M.S., et. al., p. 1806, American Journal of Psychiatry, November 2000.]
---American Psychiatric Association
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