Treatment of anorexia nervosa by the integration of behavior therapy and psychotherapy

Abstract

Anorexia nervosa has been approached by a variety of therapeutic regimens. These regimens have addressed themselves to either the underlying psychological problems or the eating disorder. By integrating behavior therapy and psychotherapy, the author proposes a treatment plan which addresses both problems simultaneously. Psychotherapy and behavior therapy are theoretically integrable; their integration produces a treatment consistent with dynamics underlying anorexia nervosa; and this treatment produces, during a relatively short hospital stay, rapid weight gain and a foundation for continued psychotherapy. The case of a 22-year-old female is presented which describes the treatment by the proposed intergrated model with documentation of the results at discharge and at 3 months and 1 year follow-up.