Patterns of expressed emotion in adolescent eating disorders

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135121/1/jcpp12594.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135121/2/jcpp12594_am.pd

A snapshot of noncommunicable disease profiles and their prescription costs at ten primary healthcare facilities in the in the western half of the Cape Town metropole

Objectives: There has been a rapid increase in the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases globally. It is thought that this increase will have the greatest impact on developing countries, such as South Africa, where it will adversely affect quality of life and increase healthcare costs. This research was conducted to determine the disease profile and cost of treating patients at 10 facilities in the western half of the Cape Town Metropole. Design: An analytical, cross-sectional study was carried out in order to interpret the cost of the medication in relation to the patient disease profile. Setting and subjects: Data were collected from 10 facilities in the western half of the Cape Town Metropole over a three-month period. Outcome measure: The outcome measure was the disease profile of patients attending the facilities and the cost of prescriptions for these patients. Results: Most patient visits to the community health centres were to treat chronic diseases (82%). The disease profile of patients was as follows: 58.96% had hypertension, 19.67% diabetes, 12.14% asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and 21.80% arthritis. It was found that 65% of patients with a chronic condition had co-morbidities. The cost of prescriptions was significantly higher (p-value < 0.001) for chronic conditions than for acute conditions. The number of comorbidities per patient also influenced the cost of the prescriptions. Conclusion: The results indicated that most of the adults attending public sector facilities in the western half of the Cape Town Metropole have chronic diseases and that the cost of treating these conditions is significantly greater than that of treating acute conditions. An integrated approach to the management of chronic diseases is important in low-resource settings for the efficient utilisation of limited resources

Exploring differences in the role of hospitalization on weight gain based on treatment type from randomized clinical trials for adolescent anorexia nervosa

Background: This study explores the impact of weight gain during medical stabilization hospitalization on weight outcomes between three outpatient treatments for adolescent anorexia nervosa (AN): Adolescent Focused Therapy (AFT), Systemic Family Therapy (SyFT), and Family Based Treatment (FBT). Methods: A secondary analysis of weight gain data (N = 215) of adolescents (12-18 years) meeting DSM-IV criteria for AN (exclusive of amenorrhea criteria) who participated in two randomized clinical trials (RCTs) was conducted. Main outcomes examined were changes in weight restoration (≥95% expected body weight or EBW) and differences in weight change attributable to hospital weight gain. Results: Weight gain resulting from hospitalizations did not substantially change weight recovery rates. Hospital weight gain contributed most to overall treatment weight gain in AFT compared to FBT and SyFT. Conclusion: Brief medical stabilization weight gain does not contribute substantially to weight recovery in adolescents with AN who participated in RCTs

Health activism in Cape Town: A case study of the Health Workers Society

The Health Workers Society (HWS), founded in 1980, was one of several progressive health organisations that fought for a democratic health system in South Africa. We document the sociopolitical context within which it operated and some of its achievements. HWS, many of whose members were staff and students of the University of Cape Town (UCT), provided a forum for debate on health-related issues, politics and society, and worked closely with other organisations to oppose the apartheid state’s health policies and practices. They assisted with the formation of the first dedicated trade union for all healthcare workers and were one of the first to pioneer the primary healthcare approach in an informal settlement in Cape Town

Health-related quality of life among adolescents with eating disorders

Objective Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an emerging area of research in eating disorders (EDs) that has not been examined in adolescents in detail. The aim of the current study is to investigate HRQoL in an adolescent ED sample, examining the impact of ED symptoms on HRQoL. Methods Sixty-seven treatment-seeking adolescents (57 females) with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), or eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) completed self-report measures of HRQoL and ED symptoms. Results Participants reported poorer HRQoL in mental health domains than in physical health domains. Disordered attitudes, binge eating, and compensatory behaviors were associated with poorer mental health HRQoL, and body dissatisfaction was associated with poorer physical health HRQoL. Conclusion The current study assessed HRQoL among adolescents with EDs, finding several consistencies with the literature on adults with EDs. Future research should compare adolescents and adults with EDs on HRQoL

Is childhood trauma associated with lifetime suicide attempts in women with bulimia nervosa?

The purpose of this study was to explore the association between specific forms of childhood abuse and neglect with lifetime suicide attempts in women with bulimia nervosa (BN)

The role of interpersonal personality traits and reassurance seeking in eating disorder symptoms and depressive symptoms among women with bulimia nervosa

The role of interpersonal factors has been proposed in various models of eating disorder (ED) psychopathology and treatment. We examined the independent and interactive contributions of two interpersonal-focused personality traits (i.e., social avoidance and insecure attachment) and reassurance seeking in relation to global ED psychopathology and depressive symptoms among women with bulimia nervosa (BN)

Recent advances in psychological therapies for eating disorders

Recent years have seen substantial consolidation and development of the evidence base for psychological therapies for eating disorders. This review summarises the key changes over that time period. Specific forms of cognitive behavioural therapy and family-based treatment have consolidated and extended their positions as treatments of choice despite the development of novel approaches. However, there is still a significant need for further development and testing to improve recovery rates, particularly in anorexia nervosa