Anorexia nervosa: outcome and prognostic factors after 20 years
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.
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- Authors
- Ratnasuriya, R. H., Eisler, I., Szmukler, G. I., & Russell, G. F. M.
- Affiliations
- The Acre (GB)
- Bethlem Royal Hospital (GB)
- The Royal Melbourne Hospital (AU)
- Maudsley Hospital (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Russell, G. F. M.
- Venue
- British Journal of Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
- Published
- 1991-04
- Volume
- 158
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 495-502
- ISSN
- 0007-1250 (ISSN-L)
- 1472-1465
- OpenAlex
- W2105700452
- Cited by
- 369
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 18.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The British Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Disorders
- Keywords
- anorexia nervosa, long-term outcomes, prognostic factors, bulimia nervosa, mortality, age of onset, personality disorders, family relationships, disease duration, Maudsley Hospital
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Anorexia Nervosa, Body Image, Body Weight, Feeding Behavior, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Hospitalization, Humans, London, Male, Social Adjustment, Survival Rate
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