Is Family Therapy a More Effective Treatment Than Individual Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa - Research Paper Example

IS FAMILY THERAPY (A.K.A. MAUDSLEY METHOD) A MORE EFFECTIVE TREATMENT THAN INDIVIDUAL THERAPY FOR ANOREXIA NERVOSA? Introduction The disorder of anorexia nervosa, that is rampant amongst teenagers, is usually tackled in different ways as preferred by the parents of the victims. Others have always preferred the treatment of this disease through family based therapy. On the other hand, other parents have opted to have their children undergo individual therapy as a remedy to heal the health complication. As a result of these two methods, there has since been controversies to determine which remedy is more efficient for the treatment of the disease (Williams, Dobney, Geller, 2010). This has been followed by researches and counter researches that are meant to disapprove either of the procedures and come up with the best therapy that suites everyone. Comparisons have been made to each of the therapies s as to identify loopholes that may be used to criticize either of the procedures. The controversies rose from prescriptions from doctors. Some doctors recommended that patients suffering from anorexia nervosa stood a better chance of quick recovery through family therapy. On the other hand, other doctors recommended that such patients were better off if they adopted individual therapy as a mode of healing their complication. As a result, there was conflict of interest. Many have since come up with varied finding most of which are supported by valid reasons. However much this matter still remains unresolved, quiet a number of people have believed on various findings and have since settled permanently on them. This course will help in identifying the best treatment amongst the two by giving relevant support points and evidences affiliated to researches conducted by different organizations and individuals. According my opinion that is justified by a number of researches which will be highlighted in this course, family therapy is far much better as compared to individual therapy because of very many viable reasons. This conclusion comes after numerous researches and comparisons that have managed to prove, beyond any reasonable doubts, that family therapy is a better procedure as compared to the latter. Body As already highlighted in the introduction, family therapy is far much better than individual psychotherapy. Family therapy involves the parents of the ailing teenage by making sure that the patient takes the correct type and amount of food. Parents are also advised by doctors to ensure that their ailing children do just enough body exercise. The disease of anorexia nervosa makes its patients believe that they are fat and hence the urge to cut weight through whatever means. For this reason, it is advisable that parents help their children in their quest to have their weights reduced. This is coupled by monitoring their moves just to ensure that the patients do not engage in any activity that would jeopardize the whole healing process (Ramjan, 2004). Parents are trained by clinicians to effectively be their children’s guide and see them through to a healthy life. Anorexia nervosa, beings a serious psychiatric illness and its association with extreme medical complications, definitely needs closer monitoring by elderly people like parents and other family members. The close monitoring is further championed by the fact that this disease majorly affects teenage boys and girls. (Silber, 2005) On the other hand, individual psychotherapy is aimed at resolving the anxiety and emotional stress of the patient with the least of intervention from ether parents of medical practitioners. Patients are always left to carry on with daily body exercise and other related activities. In addition to that, they follow dieting programs with that are intended to help them improve on their health. With all the anxiety, these patients would go as far as missing meals as a move of heisting the process. It is also important mismanagement of emotions may lead to the worsening of the condition. As a result, it is imperative that patients are given proper emotional guidance by their parents. (Ingram, 2006) A recent research that was conducted by Stanford University in the faculty of medicine certified that family therapy really works better than individual therapy. A number of Anorexia nervosa patients were summed up; some of whom were subjected to family therapy while others to individual psychotherapy. Each patient’s condition was evaluated both at the beginning and at the end of the study. One would only be considered in full remission if he or she had attained 95% normal body weight. (Wright, 2010) At the end of the investigation, only 23% of those subjected to psychotherapy had gained normal body weight versus 45% of those subjected to family therapy. Even though both treatments managed to help patients achieve an ordinary body weight, the study proved that a first-line procedure is the family based therapy. This is because only a portion of patients managed to recuperate from their illness through psychotherapy as opposed to the greater majority who healed through family based therapy. (Silber, 2005) It is important to note that individual therapy works so well for some patients even tough the percentage is minimal. The research showed that those who successfully went through individual therapy healed perfectly well. Due to this, another research is underway to unravel the traits that are best suited for both treatments. The reasons why family based therapies were more effective are still pre-established but assumptions have been attributed to the fact that it is a more direct way of handling Anorexia nervosa. However, there were a few factors that were noted in those patients who were signed for psychotherapy. These patients could have subjected themselves to a lot of body exercise and deprivation of food. All these factors my have resulted to anorexic thinking. This is a condition believed to have hindrance effects to the proper healing of Anorexia nervosa. Perhaps this was the reason why only a few patients registered for this procedure recuperated. References to prior researches also indicated that not only sick people developed ritualistic, obsessive and anxious thinking patterns concerning food when they were starving but also healthy people. This is an indication that is Anorexia nervosa patients subjected themselves to hunger, they would most definitely experience limited changes to their condition. Another thing of importance is whether the results of these treatments are long-lasting or not. At the beginning of the study carried out by Stanford University, researches were certain that patients who underwent individual therapy stood a better chance of having a fairly long outcome. On the contrary, their healing did not last as long as expected. It only lasted a short while because patients went back to their old lifestyle after a strenuous healing process. Conclusion Family therapy in the permanent healing of Anorexia nervosa is far much better than individual therapy. I recommend that patients suffering from this disease go for family-based therapy instead of psychotherapy. This is due to the obvious reasons of longer lasting results which every patient would want for themselves. The fact that it involves the intervention of parents makes it easy to go about as opposed to the self-imposing individual therapy. References Ingram, B. L. (2006). Clinical case formulations: Matching the integrative treatment plan to the client. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. Ramjan, L.M. (2004). Nurses and the ‘therapeutic relationship’: Caring for adolescents with anorexia nervosa. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 45(5), 495-503.Collins, L. (2005). Eating with your anorexic. New York: McGraw-Hill. Silber, T.J. (2005). Anorexia nervosa among children and adolescents. Advances in Pediatrics, 52, 49-76. Williams, K.D., Dobney, T., & Geller, J. (2010). Setting the eating disor-der aside: An alternative model of care. European Eating Disorders Review, 18, 90-96. Wright, K. (2010). Therapeutic relationship: Developing a new under-standing for nurses and care workers within an eating disorder unit. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 19, 154-161. Read More