Maudsley Family Therapy
Encyclopedia
Maudsley Family Therapy, also known as Family-Based Treatment or the Maudsley Approach, is a family therapy devised by Christopher Dare and colleagues at the Maudsley Hospital
in London in 1985. It was originally intended for the treatment of anorexia nervosa in adolescents under the age of 18 in the home environment with therapeutic oversight by a trained professional. It was then adapted for use in the treatment of bulimia nervosa. A comparison study of family to individual therapy was conducted with eighty anorexia patients. The outcome of the study showed family therapy to be the most efficient approach in patients under 18 and within 3 years of the onset of their illness. Conversely individual therapy was found to be more efficient in patients over 18.
A key component of the therapy is parental oversight of the childs diet and eating behavior in the early phase of treatment.
Maudsley Family Therapy is an evidenced-based approach to the treatment of AN and BN whose efficacy
has been supported by empirical research
.
In addition to AN and BN the Maudsley approach has been adapted for use in other eating disorders including those behaviors which lead to childhood obesity
, such as binge eating, as well as for use in older patients.
Family based treatment for both anorexia and bulimia nervosa has been manualized:
Phase I: Weight restoration:
In Phase I, the therapist focuses on the physiological, cognitive and emotional effects of malnutrition associated with AN. One major component of this phase is restoring the adolescent's weight. A key psychological aspect of phase one is externalizing the illness.
Phase II: Returning control over eating to the adolescent;
This phase involves the adolescent gradually taking control over their own eating again.
Phase III: Establishing healthy adolescent identity
Phase III begins when the adolescent is able to maintain their weight above 95% of ideal weight on their own and no longer engages in self-starvation. Treatment focuses on the psychological impact AN has had on the adolescent's identity and the formation of a healthy adolescent identity.
. FBT was initially developed for anorexia nervosa and later adapted for bulimia nervosa. Certification of family-based treatment therapists is available through Training Institute for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders at either Stanford University in Palo Alto, California or the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. Certification training requires basic and advanced workshops and 25 hours of supervised training on 3 cases during three treatment phases.
Maudsley Hospital
The Maudsley Hospital is a British psychiatric hospital in South London. The Maudsley is the largest mental health training institution in the country...
in London in 1985. It was originally intended for the treatment of anorexia nervosa in adolescents under the age of 18 in the home environment with therapeutic oversight by a trained professional. It was then adapted for use in the treatment of bulimia nervosa. A comparison study of family to individual therapy was conducted with eighty anorexia patients. The outcome of the study showed family therapy to be the most efficient approach in patients under 18 and within 3 years of the onset of their illness. Conversely individual therapy was found to be more efficient in patients over 18.
A key component of the therapy is parental oversight of the childs diet and eating behavior in the early phase of treatment.
Maudsley Family Therapy is an evidenced-based approach to the treatment of AN and BN whose efficacy
Efficacy
Efficacy is the capacity to produce an effect. It has different specific meanings in different fields. In medicine, it is the ability of an intervention or drug to reproduce a desired effect in expert hands and under ideal circumstances.- Healthcare :...
has been supported by empirical research
Empirical research
Empirical research is a way of gaining knowledge by means of direct and indirect observation or experience. Empirical evidence can be analyzed quantitatively or qualitatively...
.
In addition to AN and BN the Maudsley approach has been adapted for use in other eating disorders including those behaviors which lead to childhood obesity
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
, such as binge eating, as well as for use in older patients.
Family based treatment for both anorexia and bulimia nervosa has been manualized:
- Treating Bulimia in Adolescents A Family-Based Approach by Daniel le Grange and James Lock Publisher: The Guilford Press; 1 edition (June 19, 2009) Language: English ISBN 1-60623-351-3 ISBN 978-1-60623-351-1
- Treatment Manual for Anorexia Nervosa: A Family-Based Approach by James Lock MD PhD, Daniel le Grange PhD, Christopher Dare Publisher: The Guilford Press; 1 edition (October 20, 2000) Language: English ISBN 1-57230-607-6 ISBN 978-1-57230-607-3
Phases of treatment
There are three phases involved in the Maudsley method, the treatment usually lasts one year and involves between 15-20 sessions.Phase I: Weight restoration:
In Phase I, the therapist focuses on the physiological, cognitive and emotional effects of malnutrition associated with AN. One major component of this phase is restoring the adolescent's weight. A key psychological aspect of phase one is externalizing the illness.
Phase II: Returning control over eating to the adolescent;
This phase involves the adolescent gradually taking control over their own eating again.
Phase III: Establishing healthy adolescent identity
Phase III begins when the adolescent is able to maintain their weight above 95% of ideal weight on their own and no longer engages in self-starvation. Treatment focuses on the psychological impact AN has had on the adolescent's identity and the formation of a healthy adolescent identity.
FBT certification
Family-Based Treatment is a distinct form of Family therapyFamily therapy
Family therapy, also referred to as couple and family therapy, family systems therapy, and family counseling, is a branch of psychotherapy that works with families and couples in intimate relationships to nurture change and development. It tends to view change in terms of the systems of...
. FBT was initially developed for anorexia nervosa and later adapted for bulimia nervosa. Certification of family-based treatment therapists is available through Training Institute for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders at either Stanford University in Palo Alto, California or the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. Certification training requires basic and advanced workshops and 25 hours of supervised training on 3 cases during three treatment phases.
External links
- Maudsley Parents
- Brave Girl Eating, a memoir
- Training Institute for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders
- My Kid is Back: Empowering Parents to Beat Anorexia Nervosa
- Using the Family to Combat Childhood and Adult Obesity
- Family-Based Obesity Treatment, Then and Now: Twenty-Five Years of Pediatric Obesity Treatment
- F.E.A.S.T. (Families Empowered and Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders)
- Eating With Your Anorexic, a memoir