Inpatient Treatment:From the Patient’s Viewpoint

Inpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa can evoke many emotions among patients, according to the results of a small British study. Recently seven young patients were encouraged to reflect upon their experiences both while they were hospitalized for treatment of anorexia nervosa, and after discharge. As reported at the recent International Conference on Eating Disorders, in Montreal, the patients reported feeling a sense of being removed from reality and disconnected from “normality.” In addition, the patients felt the staff did not always address their needs. The young patients also reported that their needs were not always addressed and stressed the value and importance of the supportive relationships they shared with fellow patients. According to Hannah M. Turner, DClinPsych, and colleagues from the University of Southampton, Great Britain, when clinicians take an authoritative approach to treating inpatients, this will only compound patients’ feelings of ineffectiveness and isolation. According to the researchers, feedback from patients provides a rich source of information that should be used to guide inpatient care.