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Anorexia Nervosa: Outcome and Prognostic Factors after 20 Years

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

R. H. Ratnasuriya ,
I. Eisler ,
G. I. Szmukler  and
G. F. M. Russell
R. H. Ratnasuriya
Affiliation:
The Acre Day Hospital, Worthing, Sussex
I. Eisler
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, and Principal Clinical Psychologist, Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospital, London
G. I. Szmukler
Affiliation:
Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
G. F. M. Russell*
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry and Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospital, London
*
∗Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF
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Abstract

Forty-one patients with anorexia nervosa, admitted to the Maudsley Hospital between 1959 and 1966, were followed up after a mean of 20 years. An assessment of general outcome (based on the Morgan-Russell scales) yielded three outcome categories: ‘good’ (n = 12), ‘intermediate’ (n = 13) and ‘poor’ (n = 15). Six patients (15%) had died from causes related to anorexia nervosa; at least 15% had developed bulimia nervosa. There was a general consistency between the follow-up at 20 years and that previously conducted five years after admission, although with a few individual patients there were serious prognostic errors at the earlier follow-up. A poorer outcome was associated with a later age of onset, a history of neurotic and personality disturbances, disturbed relationships in the family and a longer duration of illness.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 158 , Issue 4 , April 1991 , pp. 495 - 502
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1991 

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Footnotes

†

We announce with regret the death of Dr Harsha Ratnasuriya on the 24th February 1989, after he had completed the patient follow-up.

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