BACKGROUND:
Relapse rates for individuals with anorexia nervosa after intensive hospital treatment (in-patient or full-time day care) are high.
Better knowledge about the difficulties and opportunities that
arise during this transition is needed to identify factors that
support or hinder continued recovery upon discharge.
AIMS:
The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of adult
patients and their chosen carers on the process of transitioning
from intensive eating disorder treatment settings to the
community.
METHOD:
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients with
anorexia nervosa (n = 11) discharged from day or in-patient care
from specialised eating disorder units across the UK, and their
chosen carers (n = 20). Data were analysed with inductive thematic analysis.
RESULTS:
Four interrelated themes were identified for both groups. For
patients, themes were continuity of care, ambivalence about
continued recovery, the value of social support and a call for
enhanced transition support. For carers, themes were the
impact of the eating disorder on themselves and the family,
perceptions of recovery and support post-discharge, the impact
of previous treatment and care experiences, and desire to create
a supportive transition process.
CONCLUSIONS:
The study provides an insight into the unique challenges that
individuals with anorexia nervosa face upon leaving intensive
treatment. A lack of post-discharge planning, support system
and identity formation outside of anorexia nervosa were perceived as barriers to continued recovery. Patients and carers
advocated for transition support that incorporates a phased,
inclusive approach with accessible professional and social support in the community.

Clark Bryan, Danielle, Pamela Macdonald, Valentina Cardi, Katie Rowlands, Suman Ambwani, Jon Arcelus, Eva-Maria Bonin, Sabine Landau, Ulrike Schmidt, and Janet Treasure. Transitions From Intensive Eating Disorder Treatment Settings: Qualitative Investigation of the Experiences and Needs of Adults With Anorexia Nervosa and Their Carers. BJPsych Open 8, no. 4 (2022): E137. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bjpsych-open/article/transitions-from-intensive-eating-disorder-treatment-settings-qualitative-investigation-of-the-experiences-and-needs-of-adults-with-anorexia-nervosa-and-their-carers/8AFE9770F05DE15B86ABFB28A4BEB27B#

For more information on the published version, visit Cambridge University Press's Website. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bjpsych-open/article/transitions-from-intensive-eating-disorder-treatment-settings-qualitative-investigation-of-the-experiences-and-needs-of-adults-with-anorexia-nervosa-and-their-carers/8AFE9770F05DE15B86ABFB28A4BEB27B#

© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press
on behalf of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. This is an Open
Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution
and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.

Suman Ambwani is a professor of Psychology at Dickinson College.