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Objective: Studies indicate a significant challenge for therapists in forming a therapeutic alliance (TA) with patients coping with anorexia nervosa (AN). While TA is a significant predictor of treatment outcomes, and AN treatment has low success rates, little is known about factors that affect the formation of an alliance and its quality in the treatment of AN. This study aimed at examining the factors associated with alliance formation, as perceived by patient–therapist dyads throughout AN therapy. Methods: A total of 18 dyads of patients with AN and their therapists were recruited from an eating disorder unit. The semistructured interviews focussed on the TA between the therapist and patient and examined facilitators towards, and barriers to, TA formation. Data analysis followed a thematic approach. Results: The data analysis revealed an overarching theme: the mutual wish of the patient and therapist to form a close relationship and related challenges. This theme was divided into subthemes: (1) the role of self‐disclosure of affection; (2) the meaning of the therapeutic setting; (3) coping with relationship ruptures; and (4) the importance of empathic acknowledgements. Conclusion: A major barrier to TA formation between patients with AN and their therapists is patients' conflict between a need for meaningful relationships and fear of re‐experiencing disappointment and pain. Self‐disclosures of affection, flexible treatment setting, acknowledgement of therapists' empathic failures and ability to see things from patients' perspectives are perceived by therapists and patients to facilitate alliance formation. This study also presents practical implications derived from these themes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to assess the impact of a primary prevention program on eating-related attitudes in 231 female 7th graders at baseline and following a six-session prevention program. Fifty-nine 7th grade control females received six unstructured lectures about adolescence. One hundred and three experimental students and 37 controls were re-evaluated after one year. Among the participants in the prevention program, there was a significant post-intervention and one-year improvement in the total score of the eating-related attitudinal Treatment Efficacy Scale (TES) and in several of its domains. Whereas no change occurred in the attitudes of the controls at post-intervention, some improvement was shown in several TES domains after one year, compared to baseline. Attitudinal changes were significantly more favorable in the prevention program participants than in the controls both at post-intervention and at one-year follow-up. These findings suggest that eating-related attitudes of female middle-school students may improve following a primary prevention program, with some of these improvements persisting after one year. (Contains 2 tables.)

Patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) display elevated anxiety and attention biases (ABs) in threat processing. Attention bias modification treatment (ABMT) is considered promising for anxiety disorders, but its potential for AN is limited. In this study, 154 young women hospitalised because of AN were assigned to ED‐related and anxiety‐related threat stimuli, or to a non‐ABMT intervention control condition in a randomized control trial. Hundred‐and‐ten patients completed the study. ABMT was an add‐on to the regular inpatient treatment. Research participants completed two pretreatment training sessions and eight biweekly sessions of ABMT. AB, ED‐related symptoms, depression, anxiety and stress were assessed before and after ABMT in the research groups, and, similarly, 5 weeks apart, in the controls. We found that despite the different patterns of change in AB between the three groups following ABMT, the reduction in AB, or the between‐group differences in AB‐reduction, were not significant. While the severity of ED‐symptoms, depression, anxiety and stress was reduced following ABMT, or control condition, in all groups, there were no between‐group differences in these changes. Changes in AB were not correlated with baseline and pre‐post‐treatment changes in ED‐related and comorbid symptomatology. Methodological and inpatient treatment‐related considerations may explain our negative ABMT‐related results. Highlights: In the present study, using Attention Bias Modification Treatment (ABMT) did not lead to a reduction in attention bias (AB), while a reduction was found in eating disorder (ED)‐related pathology, depression, anxiety, and stress.The changes in ED‐related pathology, depression, anxiety, and stress following ABMT were not correlated with changes in ABThe lack of change in AB following ABMT may reflect several methodological considerations, and casts doubt about the potential of ABMT as an add‐on treatment in inpatient settings [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research into attitudes towards life and death among eating-disordered patients is presented. It is concluded that bulimics and anorexics reject life, rather than necessarily wishing for death. It is common for them to feel guilty about promoting their own interests.

Objective: This study had two goals. The first was to validate and examine the potential of the Hebrew version of the Cambridge Mindreading face task (CAMHeb)—an ecological measure of emotional theory of mind (eToM)—to assess eToM in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN). The second goal was to examine whether interpersonal mistrust would mediate the relation between mentalizing and eToM and the severity of AN. Method: The validity of the CAMHeb was examined using well‐established measures of mentalizing ability and eToM in 45 young female patients with AN and 53 control participants. Next, the mediation model was assessed using a subsample of 33 AN patients and 34 controls, in which interpersonal mistrust was additionally assessed. Results: The CAMHeb correlated with the measures of mentalizing ability and eToM. The CAMHeb, along with the measure of general mentalizing, significantly differentiated between the AN and control groups. The associations of general mentalizing and CAMHeb with eating disorder (ED) symptoms were mediated by interpersonal mistrust. Conclusion: The CAMHeb is a valid measure of deficient eToM in AN. In therapy, an increase in mentalizing ability and accurate eToM may enhance interpersonal trust, which may further contribute to attenuation of AN symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]