Outcome Prediction of Eating Disorders : Can Admission Data Forecast Outcome Needs at Discharge

Prior research has examined the eating disorders in terms of etiology, predictive factors, treatment modalities, clinical course, and outcome with variable results and minimal consensus. No research was found linking collected assessment data to discharge needs, nor was research addressing the impact of discharge planning on successful treatment outcome identified. The purpose of this study was to determine if data collected for individuals during the initial assessment phase of an eating disorders program could predict the nature of discharge needs at the time of treatment completion. Using a data collection tool developed by the researcher, a one time retrospective chart review of 29 female subjects treated in an outpatient eating disorders program between 1994 and 1996 was accomplished. Using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, descriptive statistics were used to assess the characteristics of the sample population, analysis of variance was employed to examine differences between diagnostic groups for particular variables and a Chi-square test was applied to test for associations. Probability levels were set at .05 for statistical significance and .10 to indicate a trend. Although limited by available data, several significant findings were noted. Women diagnosed with Bulimia Nervosa (BN) had significantly higher admission Global Assessment of Functioning versus women with Anorexia Nervosa (AN); those with AN were positively linked to a family history of mood disorders; a significant relationship existed between BN and a family history of eating disorders and to brothers having a psychiatric history; a link between treatment involvement and a) discharge type and b) clinical outcome; and a positive relationship between those with AN and the lack of follow through with discharge plans.Air Force Inst of Tech Wright-Patterson AFB OH is the author of 'Outcome Prediction of Eating Disorders : Can Admission Data Forecast Outcome Needs at Discharge', published 1997 under ISBN 9781423572343 and ISBN 1423572343.