The Maudsley method is a family therapy focused on anorexia in children under the age of 18 and was created by Christopher Dare and his colleagues at Maudsley Hospital in London.
Anorexia nervosa (SN) was first recognized more than 125 years ago. This disorder worries patients and their families even more and baffles doctors. Treatments are generally effective at regaining weight.
- However.
- They can interfere with a teenager’s family.
- Social.
- And academic life.
- In addition.
- Weight recovery alone is not enough for recovery; as a result.
- Relapses are often common.
The Maudsley Method for AN is a successful outpatient model and an alternative to the expensive inpatient programs that have been discussed at Maudsley Hospital.
This model strives to normalize weight and restore the teen’s developmental trajectory.
Few controlled clinical trials have been conducted to explore effective outpatient treatments for adolescents with anorexia; however, although the research has not been extensive, recent reports on the treatment of SN in adolescents have been very encouraging in terms of the effectiveness of the Maudsley method.
A review of all research conducted by the NICE Institute in England concluded that all health services should use family therapy with a focus on anorexia as a priority, so the Maudsley method seems to be an excellent treatment option. Therapy is manual and is also explained in some books intended for parents.
In addition, the Maudsley method also aims to correct the erroneous guilty attributions of the patient’s disease, i. e. neither parents nor adolescents are responsible for eating disorder, so a theoretically agnostic approach to the aetiology of this disorder is taken.
The Maudsley method goes through three clearly defined phases that usually occur in 15 to 20 treatment sessions over a period of approximately 12 months.
In Phase I, also known as the weight recovery phase, the therapist focuses on the dangers of severe malnutrition associated with AN and treats symptoms such as hypothermia, changes in growth hormone, cardiac dysfunction, or cognitive and emotional changes.
The typical pattern of family interactions and eating habits is also evaluated. The therapist will do everything possible to help parents in their joint attempt to regain the teen’s weight. Most of this first phase of treatment is achieved by empowering parents to regain their weight successfully. .
The relationship with brothers or colleagues is also very important. It helps teens build stronger, age-appropriate relationships, rather than just getting involved in a parenting relationship.
This phase of treatment aims to encourage parents to help their children better control food. Although symptoms remain at the heart of discussions between therapist and family, weight gain is encouraged with minimal stress.
In addition, other general family problems or difficulties are addressed, the daily concerns that the family had to report can now be addressed, and above all, the effect of some problems on ensuring constant weight gain is analyzed.
Phase III begins when the teen can maintain his weight at about 95% of his ideal weight and starvation has decreased.
The therapeutic approach begins to change towards the analysis of the impact of NF on the individual. It is necessary to establish a healthy adolescent identity. It involves a review of the central problems of adolescence and includes support for greater personal autonomy of adolescents.
In addition, she works to develop appropriate parental limitations, as well as the need for parents to rearrang their lives together after their children’s eventual departure.
In short, Maudsley’s approach is very promising for most adolescents who have been ill for a relatively short period of time (i. e. less than 3 years).
This family treatment can prevent hospitalization and help the recovery of the adolescent, provided that parents are considered a resource and allowed to play an active role in treatment.