Bulimic Teens Heal Faster When Parents Are Present For Treatment

A new study revealed that the involvement of parents in the treatment plans of teenagers or adolescents who suffer from bulimia nervosa offer more promising results compared with those who undergo the process on their own. The researchers of the study pointed out that the findings they put forward are in direct contrast to the practice of physicians in the past, which prevent the involvement of the family in the treatment scheme. In accordance with this new research, a more intensive participation from the parents could reap more rewards than treating the troubled patients individually.

"Parents need to be actively involved in the treatment of kids and teens with eating disorders," stated lead study author Daniel Le Grange, Ph.D. in a press release. Le Grange is an expert and professor of children's health at the University of California and San Francisco Benioff Children's Hospital. He added, "This study shows definitively that parental engagement is imperative for a successful outcome of adolescents with bulimia nervosa. It goes counter to the training that physicians receive in psychiatry, which teaches that parents are to blame for bulimia, and therefore should be omitted from treatment."

The study of Le Grange and his team provided a comparative analysis of two different treatment employed in finding the cure for bulimia. One is the cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and the other is called family based therapy (FBT). The research intends to point out that FBT is a more effective method than CBT.

"These findings are quite clear," shared Le Grange. The lead author further noted, "FBT is the treatment of choice for adolescents with bulimia nervosa, because it works quicker and faster and maintains its impact over time. CBT could be a useful alternative if FBT were not available, but it needs to be recognized that it doesn't work quite as fast and takes time to catch up."

According to statistic presented in the study, between one and three percent among teenagers in the United States suffer from bulimia every year. In this group, the majority develop the illness during their adolescent years. Due to the nature of the sickness, which turns the afflicted teens into secretive and deceptive ones, parents barely know that their own children are already suffering from bulimia. Moreover, the majority of kids suffering from bulimia maintain a healthy weight - another reason that could make determining the symptoms difficult for parents. With these hindrances, parents often only recognize the signs years since the bulimia set in their kids. Apart from the apparent emotional and psychological issues to be dealt with, Le Grange noted the physical issues involved in bulimia.

"Every time a patient throws up, there is a risk to rupturing the esophagus, causing electrolyte imbalance and cardiac arrhythmia that can cause death," explained Le Grange. He added, "The quicker we can intervene, the better chances we have at keeping a patient safe."

The study will be available in the November issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. As for online copies of the study, these will be available on Sept. 18, 2015 at 12am EST.