Anorexia Nervosa in Adolescent Girls - Research Proposal Example

Anorexia Nervosa among Adolescent Girls: The Importance of Educators’ Awareness Anorexia nervosa is an alarming psychiatric problem, which normally develops during adolescence and mostly affects females, particularly young girls. Most of these young girls are psychologically at risk (Hurst, Read, & Wallis 2012, 339). Hence, it is vital that educators be highly knowledgeable with the initial phases of anorexia. Nevertheless, more essentially, educators should be able to identify symptoms of this disorder.  Early diagnosis or identification enhances the effectiveness of early treatment. The objective of this research paper is to provide several case descriptions of young girls who are experiencing the initial symptoms of anorexia. The onset of anorexia is quite indistinct because it mimics the dietary patterns of the normal teenager who desires weight loss (Ronen 2001, 13). Therefore, I really believe that educators should be highly aware of this disorder since it affects mostly school-age girls. Research methods: In order to accomplish the objective of this research paper, the following steps are followed: Watch movies about anorexic teenage girls (e.g. The Best Little Girl in the World, An Anorexic’s Tale: The Brief Life of Catherine); Watch actual documentaries about the causes, prevalence, and consequences of anorexia; Look for earlier cases about anorexia among adolescent girls; Talk to teenage girls who are experiencing the disorder; and Write case descriptions based on secondary references and primary data from actual interviews. Timeline: Week 8: Watch movies and documentaries about anorexic teenage girls. Week 9: Organize notes taken from the movies and documentaries; accomplish annotated bibliography. Week 10: Look for secondary literature on anorexia nervosa and extract secondary information. Week 11: Interview with anorexic young girls. Week 12: Consolidate collected secondary and primary data. Week 13: Start writing the rough draft. Week 14: Start writing the final draft. Week 15: Revisions. Research Questions: What is anorexia nervosa? What causes the disorder? What are the early symptoms of anorexia in young girls? What are the possible early treatments to anorexia? The plan of the paper is to present actual accounts, and to persuade readers to search for the symptoms of anorexia in these narratives. Through this study, I will try to persuade educators about the importance of having sufficient awareness about anorexia nervosa among adolescents. I believe that this subject matter is important because, as mentioned earlier, early diagnosis enhances the chances of better responses to treatments. Annotated Bibliography Bruch, Hilde. Eating Disorders: Anorexia Nervosa, and the Person Within. New York: Basic Books, 1973. Print. The author presents an objective discussion of the emotional roots and consequences of anorexia nervosa and provides a summary of case descriptions of individuals with this disorder. In chapter 8, particularly, the author focuses on the problem of anorexia among teenage girls. Here, she presented some of the reasons young girls engage in unhealthy eating behaviors. The author has persuasively used case histories to show how serious the problem of anorexia is among adolescent girls. Although the author mostly relies on secondary information, the book has much informed this current study about how educators, the family, and the community can help these anorexic young girls. Duker, Marilyn & Roger Slade. Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia: How to Help. Philadelphia: Open University Press, 2002. Print. The authors have discussed here the solutions to or treatments for anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders. The effectiveness and weaknesses of each solution/treatment has been thoroughly assessed. The book has focused on the solutions, which is a quite useful for the current study. It has discussed how adolescent girls’ sense of self affect their eating behavior and how this can be solved by educators and other concerned citizens. Eliot, Alexandra. “A Concept of Self in Eating-Disordered Adolescent Girls: A Consideration of Genetic Factors.” Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association 7.1 (2004): 14+ The author has provided a comprehensive discussion of the theories about eating disorders among teenage girls. It also presented the nature of anorexia and how it can be diagnosed and treated properly. The discussion is entirely descriptive. It lengthily discussed the contributing factors to anorexia among young girls. This article is specifically useful for the current study due to the scientific discussion of anorexia. It provides an objective look at anorexia. Fishman, Charles. “Juvenile Anorexia Nervosa: Family Therapy’s Natural Niche.” Journal of Marital and Family Therapy 32.4 (2006): 505+ This article focuses on the effectiveness of family therapy in treating anorexia nervosa among adolescents. The author is trying to persuade his readers that although family therapy has long been ignored it is in fact the most effective treatment for anorexia. The article is somewhat weak because it does not take into account other forms of treatment which could have strengthened the argument that family therapy is the best treatment for anorexia. However, this article is useful for the current study because it provides an evaluation of a particular treatment that educators can use to help adolescent girls suffering from anorexia. Harkness, Jennifer. “Treatment Manual for Anorexia Nervosa: A Family Based Approach.” Journal of Marital and Family Therapy 28.1 (2002): 123+ The author discusses specifically a family-based approach treatment for anorexia. This treatment, according to the author, is one of the most effective treatments for the disorder because it involves family dynamics which are very important to the development of adolescents. Although the article is somewhat one-sided and too specific, it is useful for the current study because of its comprehensive discussion of one of the treatments that educators can use to deal with anorexic young girls. This treatment is most favorable for educators because of their direct communication/interaction with the parents and other family members. Hurst, Kim, Shelly Read, & Andrew Wallis. “Anorexia Nervosa in Adolescence and Maudsley Family-Based Treatment.” Journal of Counseling and Development 90.3 (2012): 339+ This article discusses specifically the problem of anorexia nervosa among young girls. The authors promote the Maudsley family-based treatment, which originated from Maudsley Hospital in London. This treatment is said to be effective according to voluminous evidence. The article clearly specifies the procedures and possible impacts of Maudsley family-based treatment on anorexia. This article is useful for the current study because of its specific discussion of the possible early treatments for anorexia among young girls. Lucas, Alexander. Demystifying Anorexia Nervosa: An Optimistic Guide to Understanding and Healing. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. Print. The author dispels all the myths about anorexia nervosa, like teenage girls only become anorexic because they want attention to themselves or that this disorder is caused by too much vanity. The book gives a balanced and objective view of anorexia. This article is useful for the current study because it is very important, to begin with, to resolve the erroneous beliefs about anorexia. Educators need only factual information about anorexia. But it is also important for them to understand the widespread incorrect understanding about anorexia. Ronen, Tammie. In and Out of Anorexia: The Story of the Client, the Therapist, and the Process Recovery. London: Jessica Kingsley, 2001. Print. The author presents case histories of young girls who experienced anorexia. Each case is described in detail and without bias. The author focuses on the importance of the relationship between the client and the therapist to the success of the recovery process. This book is very useful for the current study because of its presentation of case histories which are vital pieces of information for the research. It provides a baseline of comparison of the causes and impacts of anorexia between young girls and adults. Read More