Healthcare professionals’ experience in the treatment and care of youth with anorexia nervosa: a qualitative study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25753/BirthGrowthMJ.v35.i2.41925Keywords:
adolescents, anorexia nervosa, healthcare professionals, intensive treatment, qualitative researchAbstract
Background: The therapeutic relationship is a key element in the successful treatment of adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN). However, little is known about how healthcare professionals experience the facilitators and obstacles of intensive treatment in this context.
Methods: This qualitative study explored the experiences of 15 healthcare professionals involved in the intensive treatment of adolescents with AN. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed using Malterud’s Systematic Text Condensation method.
Results: Seven main themes emerged: (1) the professional role in providing emotional and behavioral support; (2) building a therapeutic relationship based on trust and empathy; (3) the crucial role of family involvement; (4) treatment facilitators, including structured activities and multidisciplinary collaboration; (5) treatment obstacles such as denial of illness and limited team cohesion; (6) emotional burden and countertransference among professionals; and (7) healthcare system needs, including staff training and resource adequacy.
Conclusions: Intensive treatment for adolescents with AN requires an integrated, multidisciplinary approach that balances empathy, structure, and family engagement. Strengthening professional training, supervision, and interprofessional communication may enhance treatment effectiveness and staff well-being.
Downloads
References
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5th ed., text rev. Washington (DC): American Psychiatric Association Publishing; 2022. doi: https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787.
Hay P, Morris J. Eating disorders. In: Rey JM, editor. IACAPAP e-Textbook of Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Geneva: International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions; 2016.
Clemente-Suárez VJ, Ramírez-Goerke MI, Redondo-Flórez L, Beltrán-Velasco AI, Martín-Rodríguez A, Ramos-Campo DJ, et al. The impact of anorexia nervosa and the basis for non-pharmacological interventions. Nutrients. 2023;15(11):2594. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15112594.
Webb H, Dalton B, Irish M, Mercado D, McCombie C, Peachey G, et al. Clinicians’ perspectives on supporting individuals with severe anorexia nervosa in specialist eating disorder intensive treatment settings. J Eat Disord. 2022;10(1):3. doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-021-00528-z.
Accurso EC, Ciao AC, Fitzsimmons-Craft EE, Lock JD, Le Grange D. Is weight gain really a catalyst for broader recovery? The impact of weight gain on psychological symptoms in the treatment of adolescent anorexia nervosa. Behav Res Ther. 2014;56:1-6. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2014.02.006.
Malterud K. Systematic text condensation: a strategy for qualitative analysis. Scand J Public Health. 2012;40(8):795-805. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1403494812465030.
Stewart TM, Williamson DA. Multidisciplinary treatment of eating disorders. Part 2. Behav Modif. 2004;28(6):831-853.
Olmsted M, McFarlane T, Carter J, Trottier K, Woodside B, Dimitropoulos G. Inpatient and day hospital treatment for anorexia nervosa. In: Grilo CM, Mitchell JE, editors. The treatment of eating disorders: a clinical handbook. New York: Guilford Press; 2012. p. 198-211.
Chang YS, Liao FT, Huang LC, Chen SL. The treatment experience of anorexia nervosa in adolescents from healthcare professionals’ perspective: a qualitative study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(1):794. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010794.
Sibeoni J, Orri M, Colin S, Valentin M, Pradère J, Revah-Levy A. The lived experience of anorexia nervosa in adolescence, comparison of the points of view of adolescents, parents, and professionals: a metasynthesis. Int J Nurs Stud. 2017;65:25-34.
Zugai JS, Stein-Parbury J, Roche M. Therapeutic alliance in mental health nursing: an evolutionary concept analysis. Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2015;36(4):249-257.
Moudatsou M, Stavropoulou A, Philalithis A, Koukouli S. The role of empathy in health and social care professionals. Healthcare (Basel). 2020;8(1):26. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare8010026.
Rienecke RD. Family-based treatment of eating disorders in adolescents: current insights. Adolesc Health Med Ther. 2017;8:69-79. doi: https://doi.org/10.2147/AHMT.S115775.
Gustafsson SA, Stenström K, Olofsson H, Pettersson A, Wilbe K. Experiences of eating disorders from the perspectives of patients, family members and health care professionals: a meta-review of qualitative evidence syntheses. J Eat Disord. 2021;9(1):156. doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-021-00507-4.
Guarda AS. Treatment of anorexia nervosa: insights and obstacles. Physiol Behav. 2008;94(1):113-120. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.11.020.
Johns G, Taylor B, John A, Tan J. Current eating disorder healthcare services: the perspectives and experiences of individuals with eating disorders, their families and health professionals: systematic review and thematic synthesis. BJPsych Open. 2019;5(4):e59.
Waller G, Schmidt U, Treasure J, Murray K, Aleyna J, Emanuelli F, et al. Problems across care pathways in specialist adult eating disorder services. Psychiatr Bull. 2009;33(1):26-29.
Ayton A, Viljoen D, Ryan S, Ibrahim A, Ford D. Risk, demand, capacity and outcomes in adult specialist eating disorder services in the South of England before and since COVID-19. PsyArXiv. 2020.
Daugelat M, Schag K, Pruccoli J, Giel K. Barriers and facilitators affecting treatment uptake behaviours for patients with eating disorders: a systematic review synthesising patient, caregiver and clinical perspectives. Eur Eat Disord Rev. 2023. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2999.
Kästner D, Weigel A, Buchholz I, Voderholzer U, Löwe B, Gumz A. Facilitators and barriers in anorexia nervosa treatment initiation: a qualitative study on the perspectives of patients, carers and professionals. J Eat Disord. 2021;9(1):28. doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-021-00381-0.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Márcia Rodrigues, Manuela Araújo, João Guerra
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All articles published in the Birth and Growth Medical Journal are Open Access and meet the requirements of funding agencies and academic institutions. Third-party use of published content is permitted under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) license. It is the responsibility of authors to obtain permission for reproducing figures, tables, or other materials from previously published works.
Authors must submit a Conflict of Interest statement and an Authorship Form together with their manuscript. A confirmation email will be sent to the corresponding author upon receipt of the submission. Authors are also permitted to deposit their articles in institutional or personal repositories, provided that the original publication in the Birth and Growth Medical Journal is clearly indicated and the terms of the Creative Commons license are respected.
