Term paper on Treating adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa

PREFACE

Today, the problem of the development of anorexia nervosa in adolescents is very important because many adolescents, especially adolescent girls, suffer from this health problem. In fact, adolescents are vulnerable to the impact of the mainstream culture and views on the “idea” body image which may affect the view of adolescents on their body image. Feeling the disparity between the presumably ideal image and their own image adolescents attempt to match the ideal image and to meet this goal they start dieting and excessive working out that provokes the development of anorexia nervosa. At this point, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that anorexia nervosa has extremely negative impact on the health of adolescents. Specialists () argue that the impact of anorexia nervosa on adolescents is more severe than the impact of the health problem on adults because of specificities of their cognitive and physiological development. In fact, adolescents are just in the course of their physical and cognitive development, while adults are physically and psychologically formed personalities. As a result, anorexia nervosa has more destructive impact on adolescents than on adults.

In such a situation, the treatment of anorexia nervosa in adolescents is essential. More important, it is necessary to start the treatment of anorexia nervosa at the early stage of the development of the health problem. The earlier the treatment begins the better for adolescents’ health. In fact, adolescents should develop positive models of behavior and balanced nutrition habits to avoid the development of anorexia nervosa, while in the most severe cases the assistance of health care professionals may be needed to conduct the medication treatment to maintain the normal functioning of adolescents’ body. In such a context, effective approaches to the treatment of anorexia nervosa become crucial for the treatment of adolescents with anorexia nervosa and minimization of the negative impact of health problem on adolescents’ physical health and psychological condition.

RESEARCH FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS

In actuality, different researchers suggest different approaches to the treatment of adolescents with anorexia nervosa. In this regard, it is possible to refer to the treatment strategy suggested by Killian (1994). In fact, the researcher (Killian, 1994) argues that the family therapy is very effective in regard to the treatment of anorexia nervosa in adolescents. In actuality, the family therapy may include two approaches: the structural family therapy, strategic family therapy, transgenerational therapy (Killian, 1994). Different approaches to the family therapy may be applied on the ground of the analysis of problems adolescents and their parents have and behavioral patterns and family traditions. What is meant here is the fact that each adolescent and family are unique and therapists should take into consideration individual peculiarities of the adolescent and his or her family, while choosing the family therapy in the treatment of anorexia nervosa.