Day treatment group programme for eating disorders: reasons for drop‐out

Abstract

Abstract This study was designed to identify clinical variables and personality factors that could predict the completion or non‐completion of a day treatment group programme for patients with eating disorders. Patients ( n = 125) were subdivided into those who had completed a 4‐month day treatment programme ( n = 106) and those who had dropped out ( n = 19). All the patients had been assessed with regard to eating psychopathology, general psychopathology and personality features at the beginning of the programme. At presentation, 50.4 per cent fulfilled DSM‐IV criteria for anorexia nervosa, 39.2 per cent for bulimia nervosa and 10.4 per cent for an eating disorder not otherwise specified. Non‐completion of therapy was associated with more severe bulimic symptoms, high levels of aggression and extraversion and low levels of inhibitedness. Assessment of these characteristics could be used to improve the therapy programme and to help those patients at increased risk of dropping out. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.