This is a pilot study to test the feasibility of conducting a long- term (20 year) follow-up on two cohorts of anorexia nervosa patients in the United Kingdom. The first consists of a consecutive series of 105 patients under the specialist care of Professor Arthur Crisp at the St. George's Hospital Medical School in London, and the second consists of 72 consecutive patients treated at a catchment area psychiatric service and recorded on the Aberdeen Psychiatric Case Register in Scotland. There is increasing concern about the long-term outcome of anorexia nervosa, two recent studies found the mortality at 20 years follow-up to be 15% and 18% respectively. This grim finding stands in contrast to the more encouraging outcome at four to 12 year follow-up. The two cohorts of this study, although not matched, will provide much needed information on the outcome of the illness as it affects different populations receiving different treatment. The study will attempt to determine (1) if it is possible to trace and locate at least 80% of the patients that are most probably still alive; (2) if it is possible to personally interview at least 70% of those successfully traced; (3) if the follow-up data can yield outcome ratings reliably; (4) if it is possible to collect follow-up data indirectly for those patients who refuse to be interviewed. If we are successful in tracing 80% of the patients and are able to directly interview 70% of a preselected sample in our pilot study, a full scale long-term follow-up study with these two cohorts will be proposed.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Small Research Grants (R03)
Project #
1R03MH043916-01
Application #
3428797
Study Section
Mental Health Small Grant Review Committee (MSM)
Project Start
1988-04-01
Project End
1990-03-31
Budget Start
1988-04-01
Budget End
1990-03-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
1988
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Pittsburgh
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
053785812
City
Pittsburgh
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
15213
Hsu, L K; Crisp, A H; Callender, J S (1992) Psychiatric diagnoses in recovered and unrecovered anorectics 22 years after onset of illness: a pilot study. Compr Psychiatry 33:123-7
Crisp, A H; Callender, J S; Halek, C et al. (1992) Long-term mortality in anorexia nervosa. A 20-year follow-up of the St George's and Aberdeen cohorts. Br J Psychiatry 161:104-7
Hsu, L K (1990) Experiential aspects of bulimia nervosa. Implications for cognitive behavioral therapy. Behav Modif 14:50-65
Hsu, L K; Sobkiewicz, T A (1989) Bulimia nervosa: a four- to six-year follow-up study. Psychol Med 19:1035-8