Hospitalization
In particularly serious cases, this may be done as an involuntary hospital treatment under mental health law, where such legislation exists. In the majority of cases, however, people with anorexia are treated as outpatients, with input from physicians, psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and other mental health professionals.A recent clinical review has suggested that psychotherapy is an effective form of treatment and can lead to restoration of weight, return of periods among female patients, and improved psychological and social functioning when compared to simple support or education programmes. However, this review also noted that there are only a small number of trials on which to base this recommendation, and no specific type of psychotherapy seems to show any overall advantage when compared to other types. Family therapy has also been found to be an effective treatment for adolescents with anorexia and in particular, a method developed at the Maudsley Hospital in the UK is widely used and found to maintain improvement over time.
It is important to note that many recovering underweight persons (who are more or less forced against their will into recovery by parents or other relatives) often harbour a hateful dislike for those who they feel to be robbing them of their treasured emaciation. Often when well-meaning friends or relatives compliment the recoveree on how much healthier they look, the recoveree's mind replaces "healthy" with "fat".
