As a parent, there are number of concerns that need to be addressed when seeking treatment for eating disorders for your adolescent child like: When is the best time to seek treatment? What is the optimal treatment environment? Who should provide the treatment? Being a parent, it is your priority to ensure that the intensity, severity, and motivation setting will lead to the recovery of the eating disorder of your child.
At the onset of the symptoms of the eating disorder, a parent should immediately seek treatment. The book Treating and Preventing Adolescent Mental Health Disorders advises "that treatment should occur in the least restrictive setting in which effective treatment can be provided." However, that depends on where the adolescent has access. Large cities offer intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs, and inpatient hospitalization. Adolescents may resist seeking treatment to more intensive treatment settings like residential facilities because aside from its distance from home; their family, social and school life can be disrupted. Treatment options in smaller towns, on the other hand, are often limited because of the unavailability of therapists with varying degrees of interest and expertise in treating adolescents with eating disorders. Your adolescent may also be treated at the comforts of your home but the treatment provider must maintain the balance between ideal treatment and available treatment. At present, there are no "agreed-upon" specific treatment protocols for treatment of adolescent with eating disorders. The typical set-up is that adolescent tends to start in outpatient treatment with regular visits to medical and mental health provider then progress to more intensive treatment if there are no positive responses to prior treatments.
The involvement of the family in the treatment process can be critical to its success. Also "if the care providers attribute blame or fault to the parents, it will be difficult to foster a collaborative relationship with parents, (300)." In the year 2003, the Society for Adolescent Medicine (SAM) released new guidelines with five major positions on the treatment of adolescents with eating disorders. The guidelines give highlight on the following:
At the onset of the symptoms of the eating disorder, a parent should immediately seek treatment. The book Treating and Preventing Adolescent Mental Health Disorders advises "that treatment should occur in the least restrictive setting in which effective treatment can be provided." However, that depends on where the adolescent has access. Large cities offer intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs, and inpatient hospitalization. Adolescents may resist seeking treatment to more intensive treatment settings like residential facilities because aside from its distance from home; their family, social and school life can be disrupted. Treatment options in smaller towns, on the other hand, are often limited because of the unavailability of therapists with varying degrees of interest and expertise in treating adolescents with eating disorders. Your adolescent may also be treated at the comforts of your home but the treatment provider must maintain the balance between ideal treatment and available treatment. At present, there are no "agreed-upon" specific treatment protocols for treatment of adolescent with eating disorders. The typical set-up is that adolescent tends to start in outpatient treatment with regular visits to medical and mental health provider then progress to more intensive treatment if there are no positive responses to prior treatments.
The involvement of the family in the treatment process can be critical to its success. Also "if the care providers attribute blame or fault to the parents, it will be difficult to foster a collaborative relationship with parents, (300)." In the year 2003, the Society for Adolescent Medicine (SAM) released new guidelines with five major positions on the treatment of adolescents with eating disorders. The guidelines give highlight on the following:
- Diagnosis - as adolescents may have significant health risks associated with dysfunctional weight control practices.
- Treatment - should be at lower symptom levels than for adults.
- Nutritional management - should reflect the patient's age, pubertal stage, and physical activity.
- Family-based treatment - should be considered an essential part of treatment.
- Assessment and treatment of adolescent with eating disorders - should be done by knowledgeable team.
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