A Review of the Role of Psychiatrists and Pediatricians in Outpatient Treatment of Adolescents with Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa
August 2011
in “
Current Psychiatry Reviews
”
TLDR Family-based treatment is the best outpatient care for stable teens with anorexia, and more research is needed on medication and treatment effectiveness for young people with eating disorders.
The document from August 1, 2011, reviews the roles of psychiatrists and pediatricians in treating adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). It emphasizes the importance of early identification and treatment by pediatricians to prevent long-term health consequences and the need for a multidisciplinary team approach. The review notes that while selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are effective in adults with BN, their effectiveness in adolescents is unclear, and there is a lack of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for medication use in treating adolescents with AN. The document concludes that family-based treatment (FBT) is the preferred outpatient treatment for medically stable adolescents with AN, and medications should be considered primarily for treating comorbid conditions. It calls for further research into the combined psychiatric and medical treatment efficacy for adolescents with eating disorders.
