Gumz Antje, Weigel Angelika, Wegscheider Karl, Romer Georg, Löwe Bernd
1Senior Consultant,Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy,University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf & Schön Clinic Hamburg Eilbek,Hamburg,Germany.
2Senior Research Fellow,Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy,University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf & Schön Clinic Hamburg Eilbek,Hamburg,Germany.
Prim Health Care Res Dev. 2018 Jan;19(1):42-52. doi: 10.1017/S1463423617000524. Epub 2017 Aug 22.
Aim This non-randomized pre-post-intervention study investigated the effect of a systemic public health intervention on the length of time between anorexia nervosa symptom onset and contact with the health care system as well as the initiation of treatment.
Although systemic public health interventions have successfully been implemented in physical and mental health fields, their effect on the early treatment of patients with anorexia nervosa remains unclear.
In total, 59 anorexia nervosa patients (mean age=21.5 years, SD=7.2) were recruited before a systemic public health intervention, and 18 patients (mean age=22.2 years, SD=8.9) were recruited afterwards. Using validated self-report measures and a semi-structured interview, the duration of untreated anorexia nervosa and the duration until first contact with the health care system were investigated. Findings At the beginning of the individual treatment initiation process, participants in both samples most frequently consulted their general practitioner or paediatrician about their eating disorder-related symptoms. Neither the mean duration of untreated anorexia nervosa, that is, the time between illness onset and the initiation of a recommended treatment, nor the duration until first contact with the health care system significantly decreased after the implementation of the systemic public health intervention. The mean duration of untreated anorexia nervosa was 36.5 months (SD=68.2) before the systemic public health intervention and 40.1 months (SD=89.4) after the implementation of the systemic public health intervention. The mean duration until first contact with the health care system was 25.0 months (SD=53.0) before the intervention and 32.8 months (SD=86.5) after the intervention.
Primary care providers are crucial to the treatment initiation process and should be involved in future interventions to improve early detection and treatment commencement amongst patients with anorexia nervosa.
目的 本非随机干预前后研究调查了一项系统性公共卫生干预措施对神经性厌食症症状发作至与医疗保健系统接触以及开始治疗之间时间长度的影响。
尽管系统性公共卫生干预措施已在身心健康领域成功实施,但其对神经性厌食症患者早期治疗的影响仍不明确。
在一项系统性公共卫生干预措施实施前,共招募了59名神经性厌食症患者(平均年龄 = 21.5岁,标准差 = 7.2),实施后招募了18名患者(平均年龄 = 22.2岁,标准差 = 8.9)。使用经过验证的自我报告测量方法和半结构化访谈,调查了未经治疗的神经性厌食症持续时间以及首次与医疗保健系统接触的持续时间。结果 在个体治疗开始过程之初,两个样本中的参与者最常就其饮食失调相关症状咨询全科医生或儿科医生。在实施系统性公共卫生干预措施后,未经治疗的神经性厌食症的平均持续时间(即疾病发作至推荐治疗开始之间的时间)以及首次与医疗保健系统接触的持续时间均未显著缩短。在系统性公共卫生干预措施实施前,未经治疗的神经性厌食症的平均持续时间为36.5个月(标准差 = 68.2),实施后为40.1个月(标准差 = 89.4)。干预前首次与医疗保健系统接触的平均持续时间为25.0个月(标准差 = 53.0),干预后为32.8个月(标准差 = 86.5)。
初级保健提供者对治疗开始过程至关重要,应参与未来的干预措施,以改善神经性厌食症患者的早期发现和治疗开始情况。