Original scientific paper

MALE ANOREXIA AND BULIMIA NERVOSA: DISORDER SYMPTOMS AND IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOUR DURING HOSPITAL TREATMENT AND ONE YEAR FOLLOW-UP PERIOD

Karin Sernec ; University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana, Grablovičeva 44a, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Gorazd V. Mrevlje ; University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana, Grablovičeva 44a, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Jadranka Čarapič ; University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana, Grablovičeva 44a, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Urška Weber ; Community Health Centre, Kandijska cesta 4, 8000 Novo Mesto, Slovenia
Bojan Zalar ; University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana, Studenec 48, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Abstract

Background: The study aimed to evaluate treatment efficacy in male patients with anorexia (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN)
treated at the Eating Disorder Unit, University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana, Slovenia (EDU UPCL), using longitudinal assessments
of eating disorder (ED) symptoms and selected impulsive behaviours highly correlated with these entities from hospital admission till
twelve months after.
Subjects and methods: 35 male AN and 35 male BN patients were included. Participants were aged 17 or more and somatically
stable with the BMI>12 kg/m2. Patients with psychiatric comorbidity, mental disorder due to a general medical condition, or serious
somatic or neurological disease were excluded. Intensity of ED symptoms and presence of selected impulsive behaviours were
evaluated at hospital admission and discharge, and three, six and twelve months after, using an internal Eating Disorder Unit
Questionnaire. For statistical analysis multivariate analysis of variance was used.
Results: Throughout the research period the appropriate changes in BMI were observed in both patient groups. In both, AN and
BN patient groups, the evaluation of longitudinal differences regarding the intensity of all ED symptoms and the presence of studied
impulsive behaviours showed a significant decline at discharge and all subsequent assessments compared to the results obtained
upon admission to the hospital. The re-hospitalization rates of patients with AN and BN in the first year after discharge from the
hospital were 3.84% vs. 3.7% respectively.
Conclusions: In male patients with AN and BN treated at the EDU UPCL, ED symptoms, BMI, and studied impulsive behaviours
show a substantial improvement during hospital treatment. These changes seem to be long lasting, still being effective through oneyear
post-hospitalization follow-up.

Keywords

male patients; eating disorder; symptoms; impulsive behaviour; treatment

Hrčak ID:

162463

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/162463

Publication date:

23.9.2015.

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