Patients admitted to hospital with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: Psychopathology, weight gain, and attitudes toward treatment

Ten percent of patients assessed at Toronto General Hospital Eating Disorder Centre require admission to hospital. In a comparative study of 100 consecutive admissions, differences in weight, eating disorder symptoms, and psychopathology between inpatients and outpatients were most apparent in the group with bulimia nervosa. Patients admitted with anorexia nervosa and with bulimia nervosa also had a longer duration of illness compared to outpatients. At discharge the anorexic patients weighed approximately 85% of ideal body weight. After a mean follow-up period of 2 years, 50% of patients were in the “good” outcome category, vshereas 16% were rated as having a “poor” outcome. Patient attitudes to various components of the program did not appear to influence outcome.